


Old Ties

by kanashimibeast



Series: Across Realms [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Musou | Fire Emblem Warriors, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Michalis is a massive prick, Minerva is having confidence issues, Sort Of, Stupid Sexy Niles, and Niles is both helping and not helping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-07-25 05:39:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 46,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16191203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanashimibeast/pseuds/kanashimibeast
Summary: It's been six months since Minerva returned from Aytolis and helped Marth win the War of Shadows. Macedon is freed, but the crown weighs heavily on her brow, and the lingering memories of a fling from Aytolis are not helping her adjust to the stress of being queen. She's convinced that she'd be better off forgetting Niles -- until he shows up in her life again.Sequel to "Keen Words." Now Complete!





	1. A Heavy Crown

**Author's Note:**

> I told you there would be a sequel eventually! This entire fic has been pre-written (with the exception of a couple scenes I need to add to later chapters), so I'll be posting the chapters as I edit them. I hope to keep to a weekly schedule. Also, this fic's rating will change to "Explicit" starting around Chapter 3. You have been warned.
> 
> In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my dive in the depths of rarepair hell.

At first, Minerva was too busy to be wistful. She could not afford the luxury of regret with a crown on her brow and a shattered kingdom at her feet. With Michalis deposed, it fell to Minerva to take the throne and lead Macedon, dealing with the aftermath of Dolhr’s occupation and the War of Shadows. There were towns that needed rebuilding, corruption that needed to be weeded out, and treaties with neighboring nations to draw up.

But when the dust settled and Minerva had time to feel the true weight of her crown, there was nothing left to keep the longing at bay.

Six months after the war ended she found herself gazing out the window of the Aerie, watching the Whitewing sisters as they drilled in the skies. It felt like forever since she had taken her wyvern out to join them. She had so much she could show them, little tips and tricks she had picked up from watching Cordelia and Hinoka as they trained in Aytolis. She wondered how the Whitewings would react to hear that someone else had replicated their famous triangle attack. The thought almost brought a smile to her lips.

“Your majesty, if I may?”

Minerva turned her gaze from the window. One of her many courtiers was at her elbow. “The envoys from Archanea are here to see you, Queen Minerva.”

“I see.” Minerva let nothing show on her face, but even after six months she was not used to be addressed as Queen Minerva. For all of her life she had been Princess Minerva. She still expected people to call her that.

_“I’ll make sure you get an eyeful, princess.”_

Her fingers twitched, wanting to curl into a fist. His voice always came to her when she least wanted to hear it. It seemed she hid her tension poorly, because she saw the courtier looking at her stiff shoulders with unease. Everyone looked at her with unease. They didn’t think she was capable of being Queen.

She tried to force herself to relax. It just made her shoulders stiffen further. “I’ll be down to greet them shortly,” she said, voice curt. “They are here to discuss the treaty?”

The courtier nodded. “It would seem so.”

“As expected.” She was surprised they had not arrived sooner, but Archanea suffered greater losses than Macedon had, so no doubt it had taken them longer to gather themselves in the aftermath. “Is there anything else?”

“Nothing, your majesty.”

“Good.” Minerva waved her hand to dismiss the courtier, but the gesture was stiff and awkward. Michalis had always made it look effortless. She felt like a foolish impostor in comparison. “You are dismissed.”

The courtier bowed and left, but Minerva caught the glance he cast over his shoulder. It was another uneasy look her way. She gritted her teeth and turned her gaze out the window instead. The Whitewings were still drilling, and she would give anything to join them. She was confident in the saddle. She was not confident here.

_“I swear, the only time you aren’t tense is when you’re riding your wyvern or riding me. Maybe we should do these visits more often.”_

Again with his voice. Minerva allowed herself the small relief of slamming her fist against the windowsill, then turned on her heel and went to greet the envoys.

 

* * *

 

 

Maria came to visit her that evening. She entered Minerva’s room without knocking, but Minerva knew the sound of her sister’s footsteps by heart, and thus only glanced up from her desk when Maria entered. “Finally!” said Maria, eyes bright and smile wide. “ You’re so late coming back to your room these days, Minerva.”

“I am busy these days, Maria.” Nonetheless, Minerva smiled and stood. Maria bounced up on her tiptoes in order to hug her properly and Minerva  returned the hug with warmth. Maria’s affection was the only thing that brought her peace of mind as of late. “I am sorry I have not had time for you.”

Maria squeezed her tight. “No apologizing! You’re busy, I know you are. You’ve already done so much for me, big sister.”

Maria’s voice had the same petulant tone it had when Minerva tried to talk her out of fighting in Marth’s army. Minerva knew a losing battle when she saw one. “Very well,” she said. “Tell me how your day has been, then.”

“Boring.” Maria pulled back and straightened her skirts.  “I miss Marth and the others. I wish they would come visit sometime. All I have is Michalis, and he still won’t talk to me.”

Minerva sighed. “You visited Michalis again.”

“Someone needs to keep an eye on him!”

“Michalis has guards posted at his door every hour of the day, Maria. He has enough eyes on him.”

“That’s not the same.” Maria crossed her arms and frowned. “I’m worried about him, Minerva. He used to be so nice, and then all this happened. Now he won’t even speak to me. I just want to know what’s wrong, so I can help him and we can all go back to being family.”

Minerva wanted to tell her that it wouldn’t be so easy. She wanted to explain that Michalis could not be so easily forgiven. Regardless of his intentions, Michalis had torn apart not only their family, but their kingdom, and his foolish ambitions had left him a battered prisoner in his own home. Maria may have been quick to forgive him, but Minerva was not, and she suspected that Michalis was even slower to forgive himself, if he even felt remorse.

Instead, she swallowed her words. Maria just would have argued, and Minerva was not cruel enough to destroy her gentle heart when it was Maria’s best asset. “You must give him time, Maria. Michalis does not take defeat well, least of all a total humiliation. Be patient with him.”

Maria sighed. “I just wish you would go talk to him one of these days,” she said. “You’re older, maybe he’ll talk to you.”

 _I am also the one who crushed him in battle,_ Minerva thought, but she swallowed those words as well. Maria’s words left her thinking of Prince Ryoma. He was the first one she had confided in about Michalis, and he had offered her not only solace, but advice. He had urged her to confront Michalis and lay her feelings bare so that she could ease her conscience before she lost her chance

She still had not taken his advice, to her own chagrin. There had been no time for heartfelt talks when she faced Michalis on the battlefield. The most she could so was wrest him from his wyvern and seize his castle. She had promised herself that when the time was right, she would confront him properly. So far, it seemed like the time was never right.

_“Oh my, and I thought Corrin had family issues.”_

Minerva gritted her teeth. Maria noticed and frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“I… was thinking of a friend.” Minerva tried to relax, but her posture remained tense. His voice still echoed in her head. “One of the allies I encountered during my stay in Aytolis.”

“Oh!” Maria’s eyes brightened. “Right, you still haven’t told me about all the people you met! We were so busy when you came back, there was barely any time to talk about it. I had to ask for details from Tiki.”

Minerva saw an opportunity to steer things away from Michalis and took it. “My apologies. Was there anything you wanted to know?”

She sat down on the bed and gestured to the seat next to her. Maria bounced into it. “Tell me more about the people you met,” she said, clasping her hands together and giving Minerva her best pleading look. “Tiki said that most of them were royalty, was that true?”

“It was.” Minerva smiled. “There were no less than twenty royals in all. Only a fraction of the allies we made weren’t royalty, and even then, they were often retainers to royalty.”

“Goodness…” Maria’s eyes went wide. “Did you meet any handsome princes?”

“ _Maria…_ ”

“I’m not asking if you had any whirlwind romances, I just want to know if you met any!” Seeing Minerva’s skeptical look, Maria huffed. “You’re way too serious to have whirlwind romances when you’re at war. I’m just curious to know if there were any dashing heroes there.”

Minerva thanked her self-restraint, because her first instinct had been to tell Maria not to be so sure about that. The last thing Minerva needed was for Maria to pry into a fling she was trying to forget. She had no idea what Maria would think of the man Minerva had consorted with during her time away....

She banished the thought. “Fine, there were several handsome princes,” she said, latching onto the distraction. “One of them seemed quite taken with me, although he was not brazen enough to be direct about it.”

Maria leaned forward, eyes wide. “What was he like?”

“His name was Ryoma, and he was the High Prince of a kingdom called Hoshido.” Minerva allowed her thoughts to drift back to Ryoma. She remembered his heated glances that he seemed to think were sly and discreet, and the way his movements flashed and struck like the lightning that surrounded his blade. Most of all she remembered how his warrior’s spirit was tempered by a sense of familial responsibility far stronger than Michalis’s had ever been. “He had four younger siblings. One of them, Princess Sakura, was a healer much like you. I bet the two of you would have gotten along, had you met.”

“Tiki told me about Princess Sakura! I would have loved to meet her.” Maria smiled wide. “And Princess Elise of Nohr, too. She didn’t say much about Ryoma, though. Was he handsome?”

“Maria…”

“I’m just curious!”

Minerva sighed. “In his own way,” she conceded. “His kingdom’s fashions were… unusual, compared to ours. I’ve never seen such strange armor. Or such long and wild hair.”

“Did you fancy him at all?”

Minerva raised her eyebrows at Maria. Maria huffed. “I know you’ve had relationships in the past, Minerva. I listen to the gossip.”

“Relationships are not the same as romances, Maria.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “I know what a fling is too, Minerva.”

Minerva coughed. She hoped Maria had only heard about those flings from the Whitewings, who were allowed to know about them. If her subjects knew about how she had fooled around in the past… the thought made her shiver. “Perhaps I should pay attention to what gossip you’ve been listening to, if they’re teaching you such crude things.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.” Maria frowned. “Did you fancy Prince Ryoma at all?”

Minerva scowled. “I could not allow myself to get swept up in a relationship with a prince I would never see again. My feelings for him were irrelevant.”

Maria sighed. “I just hope you didn’t break his heart,” She said. “You’re so blunt sometimes, you know.”

 _“Your tongue stings as hard as your whip... shall I beg for you to lash me again?_ ”

“I never even discussed a relationship with Prince Ryoma,” Minerva’s voice took on more of an edge than she would have liked it to, and she regretted it when Maria flinched back. She sighed. “Forgive me. I dislike discussing this topic, but that doesn’t mean I need to get upset with you.”

“It’s okay, but…” Maria leaned forward. Minerva grew wary of the look in her eye. “Make it up to me by going to see Michalis?”

“Maria--”

“Just ask him to talk to me, please?” Maria clasped her hands together. “You don’t even have to go into the room. Just tell him I miss him. Please, Minerva?”

All of Minerva’s excuses died on her tongue when she saw the pleading look in Maria’s eyes. She sighed heavily. “I will see if I have time tomorrow.”

Maria's face lit up in a beaming smile. “Thank you!”

Minerva couldn’t be annoyed with that smile. Nor was it possible to back out of her promise and risk Maria’s disappointment. Minerva was due for a meeting with Michalis tomorrow, whether she wanted one or not. She did not relish the prospect.

Thankfully, Maria did not give her much time to dwell on it. “Were there any more handsome princes?”

Minerva gave Maria a cocked eyebrow. She had a sneaking suspicion - more intuition than anything else - that Maria was intentionally changing the subject for Minerva’s sake. Her heart ached. _Sweet Maria, this family did nothing to deserve you._

She tried to shake her doubts aside. “Well, Prince Ryoma established a temporary truce with the heir of a rival kingdom, Crown Prince Xander, which led to some very interesting incidents…”

 

* * *

 

 

Minerva stared down the door to Michalis’s room until her vision threatened to blur. Years ago, as an impetuous child who still idolized her older brother, she would have rushed inside. Now she found herself grasping for any reason to turn on her heel and leave.

Her crown felt like a lead weight on her brow. She considered taking it off and throwing it against the wall. Michalis already had reason to hate her. Seeing her wear the crown that was meant for him might make things even worse. Perhaps she should have never come at all.

Maria’s pleading face returned to her, as did Ryoma’s words back in Aytolis. _“I hope you can trust me when I say you should confront your brother,”_ he had said, with the gentleness he had balanced so well with his innate power -- a balance Michalis had lacked. “ _If you intend to fight him, you must share your true feelings while you can.”_

She had promised him she would, but here she was, hesitating at the door. The shame burned hotter than her fear, so with that fire as her motivation, she opened the door.

Michalis was on the far side of the room, his back to her. He still wore the clothes he had worn when she faced him in battle, once proud royal robes now disheveled from time and neglect, but he carried them with confidence like they were the finest of garments. He did not turn to face her. Instead she saw his head shift, just enough to look over his shoulder at her. His gaze was cold.

Minerva hesitated. She tried to dismiss the guards in the room with a wave of her hand, but the gesture came out awkward. Michalis’s eyes remained on her as the guards left, and she knew he was judging how fit she was for the crown. He had worn it effortlessly, and commanded his guards with smooth movements and unflinching confidence. She felt like a pretender, even her simple gestures stiff and forced. She had no doubt he could see that.

When they were alone, the silence reigned. They held each other’s stares and waited. Neither moved. The air felt even heavier than her crown did. Minerva searched for words but found none.

Michalis spoke first. “Queen Minerva.”

He lingered on the word “queen,” like it was a sour taste in his mouth. Minerva swallowed. “I did not want this either, Michalis.”

“Yet here we are.” His tone was bitter.. She did not know whether to read it as regret, jealousy, or indignation. “Apparently you wanted the crown more than you wanted to see me wear it.”

It took all of her strength to bite back a retort. She kept her emotions bound so tightly she feared the bonds on them would snap at any moment. When she allowed herself to speak, her voice was clipped. “Better a pretender than a usurper.”

He glared at her. “I did what was best for Macedon.”

“You did what you felt was best for Macedon.” Minerva tried to remain stiff and straight under his glare, but all she wanted to do was shrink back. It took all her composure to stand her ground. “As did I. We would have suffered under Dolhr.”

Michalis scoffed. “We were weak under Archanea.”

“So you allied us with Dolhr instead?” Minerva’s hands curled into fists. “You killed our father because you thought we were weak?”

“Our father allowed Archanea to push us around and dictate what we should do.” Michalis’s eyes blazed. “He forgot his pride as King of Macedon. Macedon has been a military nation from the very beginning, but under him, our blades grew dull. I took it upon myself to be the whetstone that resharpened the pride and might of our people.”

Minerva’s fingers dug into her palms and bit into the skin. She wanted to smack the haughty look right off his face, but she could not bring herself to do it. “I fail to see subjugation as the way to achieve that.”

Michalis’s voice was cold. “Because you never had what it takes to lead Macedon.” His eyes narrowed. “And you never will.”

“I--”

“You may be able to pretend at this role for now, Minerva, but I can see at a glance how poorly the crown fits you.” His gaze lingered on her crown, resentment in his eyes. “You are a skilled fighter and an adequate commander, but a poor ruler. You have no confidence in that crown you wear. How many whispers have you heard behind your back, Minerva? How many doubting glances have you seen out of the corner of your eye? I can assure you, you will see many more. No one is fooled by your attempts to pass yourself off as a Queen.”

His words burned, because she knew they were true. How was she supposed to respond to something that was such a plain and simple fact? If she were a better queen, she would have had an answer. Instead, she had nothing. Only shame.

He turned away from her. “If you have no other business here, then leave,” he said. “I have nothing to gain from speaking to you.”

She choked back her anger. “Fine,” she said, and left it at that.

 

* * *

 

 

Maria found her in the stables, at the stall of a pegasus Minerva had not ridden in years. “There you are,” said Maria, stepping up onto a stack of hay bales so she could better look over the stall door. “Did you go to Michalis today?”

Minerva did not look up from her pegasus. She could not even bring herself to glance at Maria. She let her pegasus nibble at the grain she held in her palm and tried to focus on it as she spoke. “I did.”

“How’d it go?”

Minerva heard Michalis’s mocking words echo in her head. She winced. “Not… well.”

Maria leaned over the stall door and frowned. “What happened?”

She didn’t want to think about what happened. She didn’t want to be reminded of how badly she had failed. Her ineptitude left her unable to confront her own brother, and he knew it. How was she supposed to command a kingdom in light of that?

“He was not keen on forgiving me,” she said at last. “Nor does he have faith in me. I can’t say I blame him.”

“Oh…” Maria looked down at her feet. “I guess it wasn’t the right time yet.”

Minerva didn’t think it would ever be the right time to face Michalis. She didn’t have any desire or intention to see him again at all. Better to let him rot in his room, out of sight and out of mind, and let him be someone else’s problem. But even locked up, he was a threat. She had visions of her generals scheming to overthrow her and reinstate Michalis on the throne.

The thought made her shudder. She hoped Maria didn’t see it. “I’m sorry I couldn’t ask him why he isn’t talking to you.”

“No apologizing! I’m just glad you tried to talk to him at all.” Maria paused, then added, “and I’m sorry I pushed you to speak to him. I know you’re busy.”

Minerva had to allow herself a few moments silence before she could respond. She wanted to say that she was busier than she could put into words. Visiting Michalis and hearing his harsh words was more than could take in her current stat. She did not need his cutting remarks when she was fighting harder than ever to keep her composure. Her self-esteem was low enough as is.

Instead, she forced out a lie. “I am making time for myself where I can.”

“I can see that. You’re with your old pegasus!” Maria reached out a hand to the pegasus and hummed when it nuzzled her hand. “Athene seems so happy to see you. Are you going to ride her again?”

“Maybe.” Minerva scratched a spot just behind Athene’s withers, the spot she used to love having scratched. It seemed like she still did, from her pleased whickers. It had been more than ten years since Minerva left her pegasus behind and became a dracoknight instead, bowing to the pressure of being a princess in Macedon, constantly in Michalis’s shadow. Despite that, Athene remembered her like they had only parted yesterday. Her heart ached at the kindness that she did not feel like she deserved.

She sighed. “It has been ten long years. I will let her enjoy her retirement a while longer. There is much to be done before I will have time for pleasure rides anyways.”

“I’m sure she still enjoys the attention.” Maria stroked Athene’s nose and smiled. “She must have missed you.”

A lump formed in Minerva’s throat. “It seems like she did,” she said. Hinoka had said that she must have, back when she learned of Minerva’s history as a pegasus knight. She, like Ryoma, had been nothing but encouraging when she learned that Minerva was hesitant to face her old pegasus again. Minerva feared Athene would despise her for the abandonment. Hinoka had been convinced she would not. It seemed like Hinoka had been correct.

She stroked Athene’s mane, lost in thought. Despite the shock of being thrust into another world, Aytolis had allowed her to rediscover things she’d long forgotten about herself. For years her world had been nothing but Macedon and Michalis. Even in Aytolis, she had focused on little else, but her allies had reminded her of things she had neglected. She had let her hair down, relaxed, and allowed herself to indulge of things she hadn’t considered in years. Now that she had returned, she found her thoughts remained with those allies long gone and the things they had allowed her to do, left behind the same way Athene had been.

_“Let’s not drag this out. I hate long goodbyes, and besides, I’m just a fling anyway. Right, princess?”_

His voice, normally so light, had been heavy and bitter. Her reply had been terse, cut short out of fear that she would show more than she cared to. Perhaps he understood. Perhaps he had come to hate her. Unlike Athene, she could not visit him to know.

Minerva tightened her fingers tightened in Athene’s hair and got a twitch and a whinny in response. She pulled back and allowed Athene to stamp her feet and snort. Maria gazed between them, confused. Minerva was saved from having to explain things by the flapping of wings. Outside, she heard Palla call her name.

Minerva slipped out of her pegasus’s stall and followed Palla’s voice out of the stables. Maria remained close at her side. She was barely outside when Palla landed her pegasus beside her, winded from a rushed flight. “Palla, what is the matter?”

Palla saluted before speaking. “I’m not sure,” she said, letting her hand drop to her side. “You have… guests.”

Palla hesitated on the word “guests.” Minerva frowned. “Envoys?”

“I have no idea.” Palla gestured helplessly. “There’s three men asking for you. I don’t recognize any of them, but they insist they know you. I’ve never seen clothes like theirs before, though, and they were calling you Princess Minerva instead of Queen Minerva. I have Catria and Est escorting them to the Aerie.”

An impossible thought flitted in her mind.  Minerva banished it. “Then I will see them. Ensure the Aerie is guarded in preparation for their approach.”

Palla saluted and took flight. Maria frowned. “Do you think they’re with Marth?”

“I find that… doubtful.” Again, the impossible thought rose. Minerva quashed it. “If they are a threat, we will deal with them. You should find someplace safe to…” she trailed off when she saw Maria’s scowl. “...Fine, you may stay close to my side while I greet these strangers _,_ and if I find them threatening I will signal you to run as fast as possible _._ Do I make myself clear?”

“That’s better.” Maria nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll get my staff and meet you in the throne room.”

She darted off. Minerva took a deep breath. Surely this was nothing. They had to be some stray envoys of a distant nation, one that was still behind the curve after the War of Shadows. At worst, they were some opportunistic scoundrels trying to con their way into the Aerie. It was nothing she could not handle.

Nonetheless, when she went to the throne room to wait for them, she had the Hauteclere gripped tightly in her hand. At her other side stood Maria, armed with a warp staff. Knights were posted along the length of the room, and outside she heard the steady beating of wings as dracoknights patrolled the Aerie. Minerva kept her gaze trained firmly on the large double doors at the far end of the room, waiting.

The doors opened. Catria and Est entered first. Their guests followed. Minerva nearly dropped her axe.

“Queen Minerva,” said Prince Leo, bowing to her. At his left side stood a man who looked like Owain. At his right side was a face she tried to banish from her dreams every other night. “It’s a honor and a joy to see you again.”

Owain had the sense of mind to be quiet. Niles, with the same insufferable lack of tact she remembered, grinned and winked. “A pleasure, princess.”

If she survived the shock of it all, then gods be damned, she was going to strangle him.


	2. Unexpected Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Minerva has no idea what is going on, and it's not going to get much better for her.

Minerva had a great many things running through her mind at that moment. Chief among them were shock and disbelief at seeing familiar faces from Aytolis show up uninvited in Macedon, and while those feelings brought forth a fountain of questions she wanted to ask, all she could do was stare at Niles.

He looked exactly as she remembered. There were a few more scars here and there, but his one good eye held the same glint of mischief, and his lips were quirked in the same maddening grin. It was all to perfect a picture of him. It occurred to her that perhaps this was only a cruel dream she would soon wake from.

Maria was staring at her, brow furrowed in concern. The Whitewings were staring as well. Minerva found her voice, although not with much elegance. “How on _earth_ are you three here?”

Owain stepped forward to speak. Leo stopped him with a raised hand. “In a word, magic,” he said. “Ever since we parted ways after the battle with Velezark, many of in Nohr and Hoshido have repeatedly voiced their desire to bridge the gap between worlds again, missing the allies we created in Aytolis. For many it was an idle wish, but enough of us--”

“Princess Elise, namely,” Niles cut in. He smirked. “Oh, you should have heard her beg…”

Leo glared at him. “...For enough of us, the desire was strong enough to see it through," he continued. "So, following the resolution of our conflicts back home and the resulting peace between our kingdoms, Nohr and Hoshido pooled their resources to see if the gates could be opened again, but reliably this time. Our efforts were a success, and so here we are.”

“I see.” Minerva glanced between the three. It was a simple enough explanation, although astonishing to know that such a thing was possible. “And would I be correct in assuming that since you were the most skilled in magic among your family, you led the research into opening portals between worlds, which is why you are here before me now?”

“Indeed!” Owain said, with his usual dramatic flourish as he spoke, bowing low. “He, calling forth the dark magic in his-- ow!”

Leo elbowed him hard in the ribs. “As Odin was saying,” Leo said, “it was indeed my work with Brynhildr that proved most useful in opening the gates again, although I could not have done it without help. But once we were through, we had no way of knowing where we were. It was not until your pegasus knights intercepted us and told us we were in Macedon that realized that our efforts were successful.”

“And I must say,” Niles said, neatly sidestepping to avoid Leo’s attempt to elbow him, “I can see why you found this kingdom so worth fighting for, princess. It’s quite picturesque. The mountain ranges are lovely.”

“Niles, we discussed this...”

“What, that I was supposed to stay quiet?” Niles smirked. “Sorry, but you know how my tongue can be. It gets away from me so often that I’m surprised no one has tried to leash it.”

“Aha, now that would be quite the challenge! I, Odin Dark, shall rise to such an insurmountable task and seek out the most powerful silencing spell of all, one capable of curbing a tongue as wicked and willful as your own!”

 _“_ Odin, I said to let me do the talking!”

Minerva watched the chaos unfold before her, mute with disbelief. Maria tugged on her cape. “Are these some of the friends you made in Aytolis?” She asked, keeping her voice quiet so as not to interrupt the quarrel between prince and retainers.

Minerva sighed. “They are,” she said, before raising her voice to make herself heard. “Maria, Whitewings -- may I introduce to you Prince Leo of Nohr, along with his two retainers, Owain Dark--”

“Owain no longer, fair majesty! I go by the shadowy alias of Odin now!”

Minerva sent him a cold glare. He shrunk back with mumbled apologies. “--And Niles,” she said, hoping her voice remained flat and emotionless on his name. “Leo, you have already met my Whitewings, so allow me to introduce my younger sister, Princess Maria of Macedon.”

Maria dipped into a curtsy. “It’s an honor to meet my sister’s allies from across worlds,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Niles murmured just loud enough to hear.

Leo sighed, but returned Maria’s curtsy with a bow. “Princess Maria, the honor is all mine. Minerva spoke at length about you, so it is a great honor to see you at last. I hope you and your older sister can forgive us for our intrusion on your kingdom.”

“The apology is not needed, Prince Leo.” Minerva stepped forward and extended a hand. “You are welcome here. The throne room, however, is not the best place for reunions with old friends. If you’ll come with me, we can talk somewhere more comfortable.”

“Of course.” Leo stepped forward and gestured for his retainers to follow. “By your lead, Queen Minerva.”

Minerva turned, but not before catching Niles’s gaze. He had fallen back behind Leo and Odin, just far enough behind that no one was paying attention to him. He winked and blew her a kiss.

Strangling was too good for him. She resolved to throw him off the Aerie wall instead.

 

* * *

   

They settled in to a nearby council room, Minerva taking the head seat at the table and making every effort not to look at Niles. She focused on Maria instead, who sat at her side, eyes bright and brimming with questions. The Whitewings stood at attention behind her. Their presence helped her feel a little more at ease, knowing her elite guard was there to watch her back. She took advantage of anything that would help her relax even a little.

She would have been even more at ease if Niles hadn't been staring at her.

She ignored his gaze as best she could. Even among friends she didn’t trust herself to show her true emotions. The Whitewings had no idea of her previous relationship with Niles. Palla at least knew that she had entertained a fling in Aytolis, but only because she had deduced it from Minerva’s demeanor when she returned, and she had not pressed for details. And Maria…

Gods help her if Maria discovered what sort of men Minerva consorted with. She could not bear the thought of her sister losing respect for her.

When they were all settled in, Minerva cleared her throat. “Prince Leo, before we begin, allow me to be frank with you. While it brings me joy to see that contact with you--” She made a point to not look at Niles, “and by extension, the rest of Nohr and Hoshido - is possible, this a poor time for us to work on those connections. Macedon and our surrounding nations are still reeling from the War of Shadows.”

Leo nodded. “We sensed that might be the case,” he said. “That is why we waited to begin our experiments with gates between worlds.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “With all due respect, Prince Leo, six months is not enough time.”

“Six months?” Leo’s brow furrowed. “It has only been six months since you returned from Aytolis? For us, it has been three years.”

Minerva froze. “Three years.”

“Indeed. We had our own political troubles to sort out.” Leo frowned and rested his chin on his hands. “My apologies… Odin and I suspected that there would be time discrepancies when we opened the gates, but it seems our calculations were off. We expected that more time would have passed for you than for us, not the other way around.”

“I see.” Minerva made a point not to look at Niles, but she could feel his eyes on her. Three years, and he still greeted her with the same air of mischief he had back in Aytolis. She would have expected him to move on.

 _I am reading too much into this,_ she told herself. _Niles is a flirt by nature. It was for that reason that no one suspected anything about us back in Aytolis. This means nothing._

Still, she wondered how much Leo knew. Niles, for all his faults, was unwavering in his loyalty to Leo. It seemed unlikely that he would not keep his liege uninformed of his… _dealings_ with foreign royalty. If she could have asked, she would, but she dared not. “Did Prince Ryoma and Prince Xander’s truce last those three years?”

Niles clucked his tongue. “That’s _King_ Ryoma and _King_ Xander now, princess.”

Leo scowled. “And she is _Queen_ Minerva now, Niles.”

“I know, but ‘Queenie’ doesn’t flow of the tongue as naturally as ‘Princess,’ don’t you think?” Niles winked at her again, in the strange way he had where he wasn’t really winking at all. He shouldn’t have been able to wink with an eye missing, but he was so committed to being a flirt that he managed. Minerva was almost amazed.

Palla leaned down to whisper to in Minerva’s ear. “Should we do something about him?”

Minerva shook her head. “Niles may be incorrigible, but he is allowed to speak his mind in private,” she murmured back. “If he continues this in public, however, I will take it upon myself to discipline him.”

Palla nodded and backed away to continue standing guard. “I apologize for Niles’s rudeness,” Leo said. “He’s not _normally_ this uncouth in the presence of royalty.”

“I am familiar with his ways, Prince Leo.” Minerva waved it aside. “I can handle his tongue.”

She didn’t realize what she had said until Niles started laughing. When the implications dawned on her, she shot Niles a cold glare. He continued laughing regardless, so she ignored him and moved on. “I am not surprised to hear that Ryoma ascended the throne,” she said. “But Xander’s ascension is a surprise. I was under the impression your father still reigned.”

Leo’s mouth was a thin line. “He did, and at the same time, he didn’t.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

“Alas! It is a tale of woe!” Odin clenched a fist and looked wistfully into the distance. “The machinations of a hidden god and a fallen kingdom, forces that played puppet master with our unsuspecting realms. By his unholy powers was King Garon drawn onto his strings, but a pale and grotesque reflection of what once was…”

Out of habit, Minerva looked to Niles for a translation. He shrugged. “In short, a fallen dragon god killed the real Garon and used his body as a meat puppet to force Nohr and Hoshido into conflict. No one’s sure how long the false Garon was on the throne, but he’s gone now. Good riddance.”

“That is the… extremely abridged version, yes.” Leo’s gaze darkened and his shoulders slumped, looking all of a sudden like he was exhausted. “The story is much more complicated than that, but the end result is that Ryoma and Xander are on the thrones of their respective kingdoms, and Nohr has established peace with Hoshido and the newly restored kingdom of Valla.”

Minerva barely followed the conversation, perplexed by the references to dragons and hidden kingdoms, but all she needed to know was that Hoshido and Nohr had new kings and a peace treaty. “I see. I’m afraid I do not have quite as exciting a story to tell.”

“Yet it seems you still have one.” Leo gestured to her crown. “You have become queen, after all.”

“Out of necessity.” Minerva sighed. “Someone needed to take the throne once Michalis was dealt with and the war ended. Marth has taken his throne as well, having successfully vanquished Dolhr and Medeus, and he is now betrothed to Princess Caeda.”

“A betrothal?” Leo raised his eyebrows. “Then I will have to extend my congratulations to them both.”

“I’m afraid they will not have much time to accept them,” Minerva said, weary as she thought of her Altean allies. “Altea suffered far worse under Dolhr than Macedon did. Marth and Caeda are struggling to rebuild.”

“Then perhaps we will extend an offer of assistance.” Leo’s demeanor shifted, his posture straightening. “Nohr and Hoshido’s alliance has left us with resources to spare. You and Marth are valued allies and friends. We would be honored to assist legendary heroes such as yourself in rebuilding your kingdoms, and I'm sure there is much we can gain from you in return.”

At Minerva’s side, Maria gasped. “That would be wonderful!”

“Wonderful, yes, but difficult to arrange.” Minerva frowned. “I appreciate your offer, Prince Leo, but such an alliance would be difficult to establish. There is little precedent for allying with nations from other worlds. It does not help that in this world, the various nations are still struggling to sort out their own peace treaties.”

“Of course, it will take time,” Leo said. “Formally, it may be years before an official treaty is ratified between Nohr, Hoshido, and Macedon. Informally, however, we can consider this an exchange between friends until formalities have been finalized.”

The offer tempted her, and yet, Minerva resisted. She wasn’t even sure why she resisted. Macedon needed as much assistance as it could. _She_ needed as much assistance as she could, but she could not bring herself to acknowledge it. “This merits further discussion, Prince Leo. You should field the request towards Xander and Ryoma before asking me to commit to such an alliance. Perhaps arrange a meeting between them, if that’s possible. I know it may be difficult for them to meet on short notice...”

Both Odin and Niles started laughing. Minerva frowned. “I fail to see the humor in this.”

“Sorry, princess. It’s just _cute_ how you think arranging a meeting between them would be hard.” Niles made no attempt to hide his snickering. Odin was at least trying to stifle his. “It won’t be hard at all, although I think something will get hard _during_ the visits.”

Odin laughed harder. Leo glared at them both. “Niles--”

“What? If it’s an open secret in both Nohr and Hoshido, what’s the harm in letting some old friends know?” Niles flashed a grin. “Besides, _I_ think it’s heartwarming how Xander and Ryoma have put aside their differences with such fervor. They do make such a good pair.”

“Oh!” Maria’s eyes lit up with understanding. “They’re in love?”

“Deeply!” Odin spread his arm with a flourish. “The passion that bridges their hearts has only served to strengthen the bridge between Nohr and Hoshido. They devote themselves to each other as much as their destinies allow, seeking each other out whenever the stars permit, and the kingdoms flourish from it!”

Maria clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. “How romantic!”

“Indeed!” Odin beamed at her, seemingly encouraged by having an attentive audience for once. “Bards will sing of their love for generations to come.”

“Odin.” Leo’s voice was thick with exasperation. “This really isn't an appropriate conversation to be having. Ryoma and Xander’s relationship is meant to be a secret.”

“But it is a secret poorly kept, well known to everyone in the castles of Nohr and Hoshido alike,” Odin said, with a dismissive shrug. “It’s not like I told them about you and Prince Takumi.”

Leo’s gaze turned murderous. A dark miasma of magic began emanating from him. “ _Odin!”_

Odin went bone white and squeaked. “I- I mean, it’s not like I told them about your-- chess matches! Your chess matches with Prince Takumi! That’s what I meant to say! Ahahaha... I’m so sorry my liege, _please don’t kill me._ ”

“Too late,” Niles murmured, watching with amusement as Leo advanced on Odin. “And you say _my_ tongue needs a leash…”

Any other time, Minerva would have thrown her guests out to spare herself a headache. Now, all she could muster was a look of disbelief as chaos unfolded in her council room. Her Whitewings also stood in mute amazement as they glanced between themselves and the situation. No one moved to intervene.

Maria, bless her, was the first one to try and smooth things over. “But why is it a secret?” She asked, speaking just loud enough to be heard over Odin’s pleas for mercy. “A marriage between your kings would only help your peace treaty. Or your princes, even.”

“It’s not that simple,” Niles said, and Minerva was surprised to see that he he did not sport a smug grin or sarcastic words. Instead, he was almost gentle when he spoke to Maria. “Things are still quite touchy between Nohr and Hoshido, and the people don’t trust each other yet. There are people in Nohr that hate Ryoma, and people in Hoshido that hate Xander. They need to focus on preserving the peace before they can even think about making their relationship public.”

“Ah.” Maria frowned. “That’s a shame. No one should have to keep their love secret.”

“Oh, sometimes they have their reasons.” Niles glanced up at Minerva, then back at Maria. “Sometimes they would rather avoid attention… especially if they’re with someone that their friends wouldn’t approve of.”

Minerva caught his implication and wanted to strangle him for it. She gave him a cold look instead. He seemed to ignore it. “Thank you for your insight, Niles,” she said. “But perhaps you should get between your liege and fellow retainer before I need to have my council room cleaned.”

“Oh don’t worry, dark magic keeps things disappointingly tidy.” Nonetheless, Niles turned towards Leo, who was glaring down a panicking Odin while dark magic swirled freely around him. “Lord Leo, you can pulverize Odin into a million tiny bits later. It’s bad form to murder your servants in front of your host.”

The dark miasma dissipated. “Fine.” Leo growled and stalked back to his chair. Odin followed behind him, muttering apologies that were largely ignored. Leo breathed deep and seemed to compose himself. “I am truly sorry you had to see that, Queen Minerva.”

“As am I,” Minerva said. “Although I do find your reaction… understandable. The confidentiality in relationships is even more critical in dealings with royalty.”

Leo chuckled. “You seem as though you speak from experience.”

Minerva hesitated. _Does_ _he truly not know?_ She wondered, trying to read Leo’s expression. From what she saw, there was no hidden meaning to his words, nor any attempt to bait her into revealing something. Surely Niles would have told him. It seemed unfathomable that he wouldn’t.

Not knowing was a tension she could hardly bear. She took a risk. “Do you think I would ever need to conceal a relationship?”

“Hardly. You are far too sensible to place yourself in such a compromising position,” Leo said, once again taking a seat. “You always struck me as by far the most responsible among our allies from Aytolis. You even saw to it that Niles did not cause trouble under your watch. I must thank you for all the nights spent quietly without Niles and his mischief.”

Palla’s gaze snapped over to Minerva, her eyes widening with realization. Inwardly, Minerva cursed. It seemed that Leo genuinely did not know, which was almost more dangerous than if he did. When she spoke, her voice was clipped. “You give me too much credit, Prince Leo. I was hardly the only reason he was restrained.”

Niles snickered, and she once again realized her poor wording. She glared at him before she could stop herself. At the very least, Leo seemed to think nothing of it.

Maria knew her better.

She felt Maria tug her sleeve. “Minerva,” she whispered, glancing between her and Niles. “Did you…?”

“Not now, Maria.”

Maria’s eyes went wide. “You _did._ ”

“Maria, I said _not now._ ”

She spoke louder than she had wanted to. Leo took notice. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.” _Everything is wrong._ Minerva tried to keep calm, but her heart thudded in her chest. Maria knew. Gods help her, Maria knew. “However, Niles and I will need to… discuss something later. There is some unfinished business between us.”

Leo sighed. “What did he do?”

Minerva tensed. “It’s a personal matter.”

“Beg pardon?” Leo studied her, brow furrowing. “I find it suspicious that you cannot tell me of my retainer’s improprieties. I will keep the information in confidence, Queen Minerva, you can rest assured--”

“We slept together.”

Niles’s words hung in silence for several long, painful moments. All eyes turned to him, staring at him with a range of emotions, from Leo’s puzzled annoyance to Palla and Maria’s stunned disbelief - and on Minerva’s end, a cold, murderous glare. “Niles,” said Leo, “that joke was in poor taste.”

“It wasn’t a joke, my Lord Leo.” Niles looked to Minerva, his gaze seemingly apologetic. “Forgive me. I saw no other way out of that.”

Minerva exhaled, long and ragged. “I am going to throw you from the tallest spire of the Aerie.”

Leo stared at them, his gaze flicking from one to the other. “You’re serious.”

“We are, Lord Leo.”

“I… how?” Leo fumbled for words. “Was it… were you… drunk?”

“One time, yes,” Niles said. “The other times, no.”

“You slept together _more than once_?”

“Several times.” Minerva spoke, finally admitting defeat. “If you want details, Niles can tell you at another time. Do not make him say any more in front of Maria.”

Leo seemed to remember that Maria was present. “Ah.” He coughed. “My apologies. It was just so… sudden.”

“We will discuss this again later.” Minerva stood, trying to force her pounding heart to quiet down. “I think our meeting is best adjourned for now. Palla, please show our guests to a room. Maria, please come with me.”

She turned to go. Maria followed her. Behind them, Minerva  heard Palla addressing Leo. It was not until they were out of the room and several paces down the hall that Minerva stopped and breathed deep. “Maria--”

“No apologizing!” Maria planted herself in front of Minerva and held up both hands to stop her. “I should apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything in there.”

Minerva sighed. “Be that as it may, I still owe you an apology for keeping secrets.” She wanted nothing more than to avoid this conversation at any costs, but she forced herself to stay. Maria deserved that much. “I do not want to deceive you. Regardless of my reasons, I should have told you about Niles sooner.”

Maria frowned. “Why didn’t you?”

“I…” Minerva paused. She fought to get the words out, as much as they tasted bitter on her tongue. “There are many reasons, but I feared you would disapprove of my… choice. Even if things never intended to become serious between us, his… demeanor and position makes it improper for me to… _associate_ with him in that way.”

“You thought I would lose respect for you.”

Minerva winced. There was a matter-of-factness to Maria’s tone that hurt far more than any anger or tears would. “Forgive me.”

Maria was silent. Her emotions, not nearly as guarded as Mineva’s, ran free on her face in a confusing jumble that Minerva could not read. When she spoke again, she was quiet. “I need some time to think.”

“Maria…”

Maria shook her head. “Just a little time. Please.”

Minerva swallowed. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” Maria paused, then stepped forward and hugged Minerva tight. She mumbled something Minerva could not hear, then let go and was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Minerva, I promise you'll get some good things happening to you soon. Very soon.
> 
> Also, finally a chapter with Niles being his usual asshole self! I love writing that bastard. Plus mentions of Leo/Takumi and Xander/Ryoma because even though I don't exactly ship either, the pairings make the most sense to me. Not to mention it draws some nice parallels to Minerva's situation.
> 
> Next chapter will have way more Niles/Minerva interaction - and also bring the rating up to Explicit. You all know what that means ;)


	3. Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva would like nothing more than to put the day's events behind her and forget they ever happened. Niles isn't so keen on the idea.

Minerva spent the rest of the evening at her desk, trying to bury herself in paperwork. Despite her best efforts, the quill couldn’t scratch across the pages fast enough erase her memories of the disaster in the council room. Her eyes burned from squinting at the words in dim candlelight. All she could see was Maria’s hurt expression.

 _Damn that Niles._ Her grip on the quill tightened. _Of all the things I needed the least right now..._

She heard a knock on the door. At first she thought it might be Maria, but it was far too firm to be Maria’s knock. It wasn’t Palla’s either. Minerva looked up and frowned. “Enter.”

The door swung open. “I had a feeling you’d still be awake,” said Niles. He leaned languid against the doorframe and arched his good eyebrow. “Spare some time for an old friend?”

Minerva had half a mind to march over and slam the door in his face. Instead, she looked away. “I am not in the mood to talk to you right now, Niles.”

“Of course you aren’t, and if my intuition is correct, you never will be.” Niles stepped in and let the door fall shut behind him. His nonchalance as he strode in irked her. He acted like he had every right to be there. “But we need to talk, Minerva.”

“So now you deign to use my name?” Minerva scowled at him. “You presume a great deal if you think I will allow you to stride in here like I owe you anything, especially after your disgraceful display earlier. By all rights I should throw you in the nearest dungeon.”

“Ah, such venom. How you wound me.” Even Niles seemed unable to muster much effort for his usual quips. The words came out flat, with little emotion. “Didn’t you say earlier that we had unfinished business you wanted to deal with?”

She huffed. “That does not mean I want to resolve it tonight, in my chambers.”

Niles opened his mouth, then closed it. He shook himself. “You give me way too many openings to make inappropriate remarks, Minerva. You’re lucky I’m not in the mood to tease you right now.”

That gave her pause. She had never known Niles to avoid making lewd comment. Even during their final battle with Velezark, when Minerva had to pull Niles out of a swarm of fiends and force-feed him an elixir, he had quipped that he didn’t expect such personalized attention outside of her tent. Niles seized every opportunity for innuendo regardless of how badly he was wounded, but here he stood, perfectly hale and healthy, yet reluctant to make his usual remarks.

She studied him, unsure of how to handle the revelation. “You’re being uncharacteristically solemn.”

“Yes, apparently miracles do happen. Who would have thought.” Niles leaned back against the door, his arms crossed over his chest. “I have things I’ve needed to say for three years, Minerva. Will you listen to me?”

At first, Minerva did not speak, still studying him. “...I will listen,” she said at last. “I promise nothing else.”

Niles exhaled. “That’s all I ask for.”

She pushed her chair back so she could turn and face Niles. He hesitated before he spoke. “First thing’s first, I suppose, I’m sorry that I spilled our secret today. I genuinely did not see a way I could make Leo back down, and it seemed that your sister had already figured it out.”

Minerva’s heart ached at the mention of Maria. She still had not seen or heard from her sister since the earlier fiasco, and she prayed that Maria did not despise her for the secrecy. “She had.”

Niles sighed. “I’ve seen to it that Leo and Odin won’t go revealing our little secret either,” he said. “Leo was easy enough, he understands the importance of confidentiality. Odin… well, between me and Leo, we brainstormed enough terrible punishments that I think we scared him out of ever mentioning it again.”

“And my Whitewings are sworn to secrecy as well,” said Minerva. “But that doesn’t mean I was ready for them to know about… us.”

“I can relate.” Niles’s smile was wry and bitter. “Not that I mind Leo and Odin knowing. I just wish it had been on my own terms.”

Minerva raised her eyebrows. “I am surprised you had not told them already. I thought you would have kept Prince Leo duly informed, since you’re his retainer.”

Niles laughed. “Serving Prince Leo and informing him of my sex life and two very different things, princess. In fact, he’s made a point to tell me that he’s not interested in the saucy details of my… extracurriculars. He allows it, but doesn’t want to hear about it.”

“Fair enough.” She had not thought of it that way, but supposed it was reasonable. If she had a retainer like Niles, she would be similiarly uninterested in knowing the details. Even as someone who _had_ bedded Niles, she still wasn’t interested in the details of his other… indiscretions.

Silence fell. They stared at each other and waited for the other to speak. Niles broke the silence first. “I missed you.”

His sincerity caught her off guard. “You missed me,” she repeated.

“Couldn’t keep you out of my thoughts, princess. It was really rather annoying.” Niles frowned. “I was quite upset with myself at first, would you believe that? Getting all sentimental over a princess who had never seen me as anything more than a post-battle fuck.”

Minerva scowled. “I held more respect for you than that.”

“Oh, I know.” Niles waved it aside. “It was just easier to tell myself I was only a fling to you.”

He may as well have been holding up a mirror to her own thoughts, and she hated it. “So I was more than a fling to you as well.”

“You said it yourself back in Aytolis, I fancied you. Still do.” Niles cracked a lopsided smile. “Where else will I find a woman willing to pin me against a weapons rack and ride me like a wyvern?”

She snorted. “How flattering.”

“Oh, don’t give me that. There’s so much more to you than what you showed me in our little trysts.” He moved, smooth and quick, and the next thing she knew he was sitting on the edge of her desk and leaning over her. His eyes gleamed. “You never held your position over me or looked down your pretty little nose at the filthy outlaw who had climbed his way out of the gutter. I have _sorely_ missed that.”

He was looking at her with unmistakable heat. She was ashamed to admit that it had an effect on her, although she didn’t want to dwell on what that effect actually was. When she spoke, her throat felt dry.“You want us to continue where we left off.”

It was not a question. Nor did Niles take it as one. “Right now, if possible.”

“You’re being unreasonable.” Minerva stood to try get away from that gaze. It still stirred things in her she didn’t want to acknowledge. “We are beholden to our duties now more than ever, Niles. This is not Aytolis. We cannot steal away to an empty tent and have our way with each other like foolish teenagers.”

“But we’re here now.” Niles stood as well. “You and me, alone in a room with an oh-so-convenient bed. We never did manage to fuck on one of those before. We can fix that.”

“We cannot just… pick up where we left off.” Minerva’s composure unraveled as Niles moved closer. She kept her back stiff and straight, but her heart thudded in her chest. “Time has passed, even more so for you than for me. It would be irresponsible to go to bed together without addressing our situations.”

“My situation is that I missed the best fuck of my life, from the strongest and most competent woman I have ever known.” Niles leaned in, his voice breathy. “Your turn.”

She leaned back, even though she wanted to lean in. “My what?”

“Your turn,” Niles murmured. “Tell me what your situation is. You say we can’t do this, but you haven’t told me why. I want to know why. At least give me that.”

Minerva tried not only to meet his gaze, but to keep her own gaze firm and unyielding, even as her resolve wavered. “I do not have to give you anything.”

“I just want to know why you don’t want me, Minerva.”

“It is not that I don’t want you,” Minerva said before she could stop herself. As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. She _did_ want Niles -- she was not so foolish as to convince herself that she didn’t -- but she did not need him to know that.

Nile’s lips curled into a faint smile, ever so pleased with her response. He leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her lips. “I knew you wanted me.”

Minerva glared. She had dug this hole, so she may as well lie in it.“Idiot. Of course I do.”

“Then what’s stopping you from ravishing me?”

“Because I cannot face Maria!” Minerva didn’t mean to yell, but the words come out that way regardless of her intentions. After that, there was no stopping her. “Maria knows about us, Niles, but I have no idea what she _thinks_ of us. Regardless of how I feel for you, Maria must take precedent. She is the only family I have left. I… I cannot…”

She trailed off. It hurt just thinking of what Maria thought of her now. Losing Michalis’s respect was one thing. She could accept Michalis’s lack of respect for her, because he was a traitor who had torn their family apart. Maria was different. Maria was all she had left, the sweet child who had fretted endlessly when Minerva was off in Aytolis, not knowing how Minerva was spending her free time there. Minerva hadn’t even bothered to tell her, and she loathed herself for it. How was she ever supposed to face her again?

Niles moved closer. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Maria doesn’t mind.”

She snarled. “And how can you claim to know such a thing?”

He wasn’t fazed by her glare. “Because she came to my room just a few hours ago to talk to me about this whole mess.”

Minerva stared. Niles continued. “She asked a lot of questions, mostly about what I felt for you. Probably sizing me up to see if I was worthy,” he said. “I told her I’d spent three years missing you and that I wanted to pick things up where we left off, but with how you were acting so cold to me I didn’t think that was possible. Then she pointed me in the direction of your room and told me to go talk to you anyways. Something about you refusing to talk about it until someone forced you to.”

“Gods…” Minerva rubbed the side of her face, stunned. “I can’t believe that child…”

“She’s independent, I’ll give her that. I assume she gets it from you.” Niles moved closer, until his hand rested on her hip and his lips brushed her ear. “Don’t think of Maria tonight, princess. Think of yourself and what you want. I’ll be happy to indulge you…”

A long, slow shudder traveled down Minerva’s spine. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. _This is foolishness,_ a voice inside her whispered.

 _This is what you’ve needed,_ another voice whispered back.

She moved quickly, her years of combat training proving helpful as she grabbed hold of Niles. She spun him around, pushed him, and finally pinned him facedown on her bed, one arm wrenched behind his back her and knee holding him down. “I will not go easy on you tonight.”

Niles arched his back. When he found  that he could barely move in his position, he moaned. “Oh, I _love_ when you take control. Won’t you indulge me with your whip once again?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” She pressed him harder into the bed. “Remember, you are indulging _my_ desires tonight.”

“Mmm, of course, how could I forget...” Niles shifted so that he could look over his shoulder. His good eye gleamed. “How shall I pleasure you tonight, princess? Or are you going to keep me here and have your cruel and vicious way with me while I am unable to do anything?”

“Quit your blathering, you fool…” Even as she said it, his quips eased something inside her that had long been tense. No one had dared to speak to her that way ever since Aytolis. Niles was not one of her generals, or her courtiers, or any of the envoys that filtered in and out of the Aerie. She never had to wonder what he thought of her -- because good or ill, he would let her know.

She pressed her knee harder into the small of his back. He shivered and groaned. “There is more where that came from,” she murmured, before she leaned down to make good on that promise.

It was easy to hook her fingers into the hood of his cape and tug it free from his shoulders. She tossed it off to the side and didn’t bother to check where it landed. He shifted, and she shoved him, releasing her grip on him so that he could roll over onto his back. He looked up at her, and his expression burned with lust. She could only imagine that her gaze was just as heated.

She pulled back. “Strip,” she ordered.

“What, no foreplay?” Niles smirked as he sat up, trying to act coy, but his cheeks were too flushed for it to be convincing. His fingers hovered over the fastenings of his tunic. “Not going to take your time ravishing me?”

Minerva snorted. “I said strip, Niles.”

“Fine, your wish is my command.” Niles undid the fastenings and had his tunic off quickly. Her gaze strayed over his bare chest, taking in all the scars that crisscrossed his tanned skin. He had plenty of new ones, and she wondered how many battles he had seen since they last saw each other. His muscles, however, were just as attractive as she remembered.

Niles kicked off his boots, and kicked off one of them so hard it ended up halfway across the room. She raised an eyebrow at him. He just laughed. “What can I say, princess?” He shifted back to try and shimmy out of his breeches. “As you’ll see in just a moment, you got me excited.”

“I know full well what your erection looks like, Niles.” Minerva rolled her eyes, but she did allow herself a glance as that erection came into view. He’d gotten hard quicker than she expected. She chose not to focus on that, and instead of focused on removing her own clothes. They ended up tossed every which way as she hurried to strip, falling in haphazard piles on the floor.

Niles laughed. “Someone’s eager.”

“I don’t want to waste time.” Minerva huffed and tossed the last piece of clothing aside, then shifted forward. “I’ve been without relief for long enough.”

“Mhmmm.” Niles leaned forward, hooking his arms around Minerva’s neck so he could pull her closer to him. He spoke in a sultry whisper. “I’ve waited even longer. I like that you’re not going to keep my waiting any more.”

Something about his tone sent a shiver down her spine. She leaned in. “I will not go easy on you.”

“I know.” Niles smirked. “I don’t want you to.”

“Good,” Minerva said, and she claimed his lips in a kiss.

It was not a gentle kiss. They had never shared a gentle kiss with each other. Their kisses were always rough, frenzied, fierce things. His lips parted almost as soon as their mouths met, and she wasted no time reminding herself what Niles tasted like -- sharp and strong, with a strange coppery taste tongue that was not unlike blood.

He moaned into her mouth. She kept a firm hold on him, her grip so tight it was bruising. When her grip tightened it just made him moan again. He didn’t seem to notice as she shifted forward and positioned herself above his erection. It had been a long time, but her body still remembered what to do as she sank down and let him enter her.

Niles broke the kiss with a stifled gasp. He tried to recover with a laugh, but it was a breathless laugh. “Wow, you _are_ impatient.”

Minerva grunted and jerked her hips forward. He twitched and groaned. “You talk too much.”

“Oh hush.” Even in his situation, Niles was able to smirk up at her. “It turns you on and you know it.”

“You have no proof of that.”

“I have several weeks worth of proof from back in Aytolis, princess.”

She scowled and shoved him back down against the pillows, pinning him there. “Insolent bastard.”

Niles replied by snapping his hips up. She stiffened and groaned. He smirked. “Would you rather I called you ‘queen,’ sweetheart?”

Minerva bit her lip. She should have insisted that he call her Queen. The proper thing to do was to call her queen, and encouraging his insolence was never good, yet she balked at the idea. She didn’t like being queen. She didn’t _feel_ like a queen. Hearing the word from Niles’s lips felt even worse, and she didn’t know why. She preferred it when he called her princess.

He looked at her, waiting for an answer. She decided not to give him one. Instead she adjusted her position and rolled her hips, aiming to take his erection deeper and direct it exactly where she wanted.  He groaned and thrust his hips upwards as best he could while pinned. After a few faltering thrusts he matched her rhythm and increased it. She fell into the same tempo. They didn’t bother going slow.

With each rough, brutal thrust, Minerva felt her control slipping. The heat building inside her was one she’d kept at bay for six months, her desires pent up with no outlet to relieve them. Now she had Niles, lying underneath her and matching her pace with thrusts that made stars dance behind her eyes. She arched her back and made no attempt to control her volume as she moaned. Forget decorum. Forget control. She had _earned_ this.

He still remembered exactly how she liked it. Every movement was the same as it had been back in Aytolis, so similar it was as if they had never left. Niles remembered how how to angle his hips and thrust up so that he hit just the right spot. Minerva remembered how to arch her back and grind down for more sweet, searing pleasure. She remembered the movements, but had forgotten how good they felt.

Her eyes fluttered shut as the pleasure mounted. A few breathless moans slipped past her lips. Niles probably would have teased her for them, but he was too busy moaning himself. His face was just as flushed as hers, his skin beading with sweat, and his muscles coiled and tense with the pressure of an imminent release. He was getting close.

She was even closer.

The orgasm crashed over her, sudden and intense. She gasped and grabbed Niles by the shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin as she let the spasms of pleasure course through her. He groaned and grabbed her as well. Even through the intensity of her orgasm, she felt him come inside her.

Almost as soon as the orgasm happened, it ended. They collapsed against at each other and remained there. Her shoulders heaved with each gasping breath. His did as well.

He caught his breath first. “Good enough for you, princess?”

She shoved a pillow in his face. He laughed and batted it aside. “Still not fond of pillow talk, I see.”

“Shut up.” She closed her eyes and sighed. She was exhausted, but also… at ease. It felt like something inside her had loosened. Even Niles’s smug pillow talk only reminded her of better times in Aytolis, and her worries were temporarily forgotten. “You satisfied me. That’s all I needed.”

“Such love you show me, Minerva.” Niles reached up, his hand cupping her cheek. His eye smoldered with lust. “I hope I didn’t satisfy you _too_ much, sweetheart. I want to play a little more.”

Minerva snorted. “Of course you do,” she muttered. “You can rest assured, one quick round is not nearly enough for after six months without anything.”

His eye gleamed. “Good,” he purred, and he pulled her in for a kiss.

 

* * *

 

 Morning came and brought with it warm sunlight, stained sheets, and Nile’s bare arm slung loosely over her waist.

Minerva blinked the sleep from her eyes. Niles remained asleep at her side and showed no signs of waking - not surprising, after all she had put him through last night. While it was impossible to put six months of repressed sexual tension to rest in one intense night, they had certainly tried. It would be impressive if either of them could walk without a limp that day.

She turned her head to look at Niles. It was rare that she saw him asleep. Back in Aytolis, he usually left after they had exhausted themselves. She could only remember a couple times when he stayed, and even then, he had not pressed himself to her side like he did now.

It was almost touching, seeing him with his head on her shoulder and his arm around her waist. She didn’t mind the contact. It felt warm, and… nice.

A pity she could not  enjoy it for long.

Every second the sun crept higher was a second she should have spent preparing for her duties. With Leo and his retinue staying the night she had more to attend to, since it would be unthinkable for her not to send them off personally. Somehow she would have to fit that into her schedule.

Her chest twinged at the thought of Niles leaving. It shouldn’t have mattered. The gates were open now. He could return whenever he wanted, and it was better for him to leave. His return had been too sudden, and at too poor a time, when she was ill-prepared and dealing with so much else. But after last night and how much she had needed it,  it stung that she would have to wait for another night like that.

She sighed. Niles shifted, but did not wake. When she nudged him with her elbow he still did not wake. She frowned and nudged him harder. All she got was an unintelligible mumble as Niles buried his face in the pillow.

“Niles.” She attempted to pull him up by the arm and failed. “Niles, we should be up.”

He mumbled again, more intelligibly this time. “Kiss me awake and I’ll think about it.”

She pushed him out of bed. He hit the floor with a hard thud and a groan. “That was uncalled for, princess.”

“You took much worse from me last night. A fall from the bed to the floor is nothing.” Minerva leaned over the side of the bed to look down at Niles. He lay splayed ungainly on the floor, looking up at her with a baleful expression. She ignored it. “I have business, and your liege will be wondering about you.”

“Lord Leo?” Niles waved his hand dismissively. “Not at all, he’s used to me straying away at odd hours of the night. No doubt he thinks I went out to make mischief or catch up on my moon watching.”

Minerva frowned. “Moon watching” had to be code for something nefarious, and she didn’t trust it. She also knew better than to ask. “Nonetheless, I still have business.”

“Business so pressing you can’t spare some extra time for an old friend?” Niles rolled onto his back and splayed out further in what was an unmistakable display. She stared at him, unimpressed. He rolled his eye.  “Oh come on, Minerva, must you always be so quick to initiate goodbyes? I haven’t seen you in three years. You should indulge me a little.”

Minerva snorted. “If you’re intent on clinging to my side, you can keep me company while I attend my morning duties,” she said. “Now hand me my clothes.”

Niles glanced over at the clothes flung around the bed, things both of them had stripped off and tossed without a care to where they landed. He sighed and got to his feet, moving to pick up Minerva’s breeches. She held out an expectant hand for them.

He grinned and tossed them over his shoulder. She could not even protest before he slid into bed with her once again, lying on his side with a hand propping up his head. “I would rather keep you company here,” he said, winking. “I have the stamina for more.”

She tried to shove him out of bed again. He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Come now, Minerva,” he murmured, stroking the inside of her wrist with his thumb. “A small delay won’t hurt anything. Just a little longer with me.”

“I have business,” Minerva repeated, pulling her hand free of Niles’s grip. “And I am not keen to delay my morning with frivolities, no matter how… enjoyable.”

“Ah, I sense a compliment buried in your words. How flattering.” Niles laughed. “Is your business truly so pressing that it cannot wait fifteen minutes? Are there enemies I didn’t know of that are battering down your walls? Have the skies opened up to rain dragonfire? I think there is far more pressing business in here, princess.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That being?”

“That being how _enticing_ you are,” He leaned closer with a purr. “I’m afraid that it will be difficult for me to get dressed in the state I’m in.”

Minerva glanced down. She didn’t even have it in her to be surprised by what she saw. “I feel I should be amazed at how it takes so little to arouse you.”

“I lie naked in the bed of the esteemed and currently nude Red Dragoon, who spent the majority of last night showing me the true meaning of ecstasy.” Niles brushed his hand across Minerva’s shoulder, his fingers raising goosebumps that she tried to ignore. “How could I not be aroused, with such a sight…”

Minerva had a sharp retort lined up in response, but a knock on the door silenced her. She heard the knock again and paled as she recognized it. “Minerva?” Came a soft, familiar voice. “Can I come in?”

 _Maria._ Minerva’s gaze darted around the room for her clothes. They lay in heaps, mingled with Niles’s clothing. There was no feasible way for her to get dressed and conceal Niles without Maria getting suspicious. “I-- give me a moment, Maria,” she called, hoping she sounded more in control of the situation than she felt.

Niles sat up. She hissed in his ear. “How quickly can you leave, and can you do it quietly?”

“Not quickly or quietly enough, I’m afraid.” Niles crossed his arms and frowned. “I don’t suppose you could get dressed quickly enough to get to the door and keep Maria in the hall while I plan an escape.”

Maria’s voice sounded again, laced with worry. “Minerva? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is _fine_ , Maria.” Minerva hated how unconvincing she sounded. She grabbed the nearest article of clothing she could find, only to realize it was Niles’s shirt. She cursed and threw it at him.

Apparently she cursed too loudly. “Minerva, you don’t sound fine,” said Maria, followed by words that made Minerva’s blood run cold. “I’m coming in.”

Minerva panicked. Niles panicked. There was hissing and curses and a series of desperate grabs. All they could do when the door opened was yank the sheets over themselves to preserve their decency. Maria stood in the doorway, saw the two of them in bed with the sheets pulled up to their chests, and froze. Her eyes went wide. “...Oh.”

An awkward silence fell. Minerva coughed. “Maria--”

“No!” Maria put her hands up. “No apologizing. I can tell you’re going to.”

“But--”

“I said no!” Maria put her hands on her hips and scowled. “I’m not upset. Really! I’m actually glad to see you two talked to each other. I was worried you would throw Niles out when I sent him to you.”

Minerva and Niles exchanged a glance. Niles shrugged. “...She nearly did,” he said. “But, as you can see, we came to an understanding.”

“If that’s what you want to call it, yes.” Minerva wanted nothing more than to throw Niles out at that moment, actually. To be precise, she wanted to throw him out the window. She focused on Maria instead. “And you are… okay with this, Maria?”

“Yes!” Maria smiled, light and buoyant. “I think it’s wonderful that you’ve found someone, Minerva. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but I talked to him last night, and I think I can trust him. He really, really missed you.”

“Mmmm, missed her ever so dearly.” Niles leaned against Minerva and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I never have found a woman like her.”

“Isn’t she amazing?” Maria’s eyes sparkled. “Minerva’s the best sister I could ask for.”

Minerva’s heart ached at the praise. _Sweet Maria, I did nothing to earn such adulation,_ she thought. When she spoke, it was difficult to find the right words. “I’m glad you approve of my… choices,” she said. “And I am sorry I did not trust you enough to tell you sooner.”

“It’s okay, Minerva. I know now, and I like Niles, so it’s okay. But…” Maria held up a finger to indicate she needed a moment, then darted out of the room. Moments later she returned and held up a staff. “Niles, do you see what this is?”

He squinted at it. “A staff of some sort.”

“A warp staff,” Maria corrected. Her expression suddenly became stern. “I can use it to transport somewhere far away. If you hurt my sister, I’ll warp you to the _veeeeeery_ top of the Aerie and let you fall. Do you understand?”

There was a conviction to her voice that made Minerva’s heart ache with pride. Niles swallowed hard. “I will see to it that no harm comes to your sister, Princess Maria.”

“Good!” Maria smiled once again. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Indeed…” Niles eyed the staff. “But, if I may ask... why did you bring that along this morning if you planned to visit your sister?”

“Well, I actually went looking for you first.” Maria lowered the staff and held it at her side. “I wanted to ask if you had talked to Minerva, but when I went to your room, Prince Leo said you hadn’t come back that night. So I figured you might be with Minerva and came to check. I just didn’t realize you would be… well.” She nodded to their current state. “Usually Minerva’s up and dressed by now.”

Minerva sent Niles a pointed look. “I would have been, if it weren’t for a certain distraction.”

Niles winked, completely unapologetic. Maria either didn’t notice or completely ignored it. “Either way, I’m glad to see you two sorted things out,” she said, still bright and cheerful. “I’ll leave you be now, but you should head down soon. Breakfast is going to get cold.”

“We’ll be down promptly,” Minerva said, with another pointed look at Niles. “Maria, If you see Prince Leo on your way down, please let him know I will discuss things with him over breakfast before seeing him on his way.”

“I’ll tell him.” Maria turned to go, smiling and waving over her shoulder as she left. Minerva waved back, Maria’s smile putting her a little more at ease.

As soon as the door was closed, Minerva sighed and stood. “Get dressed. I’m in no mood to delay any longer.”

“A shame, it’s been so long since I got to appreciate your body.” Niles eyed Minerva up and down, smirking. She glared at him. He held up his hands in surrender. “Very well, I’m getting up. There will be time for appreciating later.”

“Yes. Later.” Minerva picked up her discarded clothes one by one and tried not to dwell on the thought of later. Even if it he wouldn’t be gone very long, Niles would still have to leave. Her heart shouldn’t have ached as much as it did when she thought of it. “Do you know how long you and Prince Leo will be away before your next visit?”

“For Prince Leo? Can’t say. As for myself…” Niles paused, weighing his words. “...If you’ll permit it, I don’t think I’ll be going back with him.”

Minerva froze. “You’re serious.”

“I am.” Niles sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his gaze on Minerva. “One night isn’t enough for me, I’m afraid, not after three years. If you’ll have me, I want to stay. There’s too much we need to catch up on.”

“You…” Minerva straightened, her thoughts a jumble. This was a foolish idea. She was too busy to entertain a lover - if she could even call Niles that - while she had Macedon to look after. Niles was a foreigner. Her subjects would be suspicious of him. Having him around was dangerous.

But she supposed she was willing to take the risk.

She sighed. “If you stay, I’ll expect you to help me as you would help Leo.”

He flashed a grin. “I’ll help you in plenty more ways than that, princess. You’ll be amazed at how much I can get done.”

“Then I will allow it.” Minerva turned away and began pulling on her clothes. Behind her she heard Niles do the same, and despite herself, something inside her relaxed. Niles posed a risk, but perhaps he was just what she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised smut, and I delivered! I forgot how exhausting it can be to write, especially when you're trying to work characterization and plot in there. Why can't I just write PWP like all the sane fanfic writers?
> 
> Oh well, such is my burden to bear. I hope you liked it regardless!


	4. Niles At The Aerie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letting Niles stay is not as smooth a transition as Minerva hoped. She did not need this sort of stress added to her schedule.

Minerva and Niles broke the news to Leo over breakfast, to which he promptly choked on his food. “You cannot be serious,” he said, looking between the two of them in disbelief. “You want Niles to stay??”

“That is what I said, yes.” Minerva sat stone-faced at the head of the table. She braced herself for Leo to say no, and told herself not to be disappointed when he did.

Instead, he continued to stare. “You don’t have any problems with him staying?”

“If I did, I would not have brought it up.” Nevermind that Minerva _did_ have issues with his stay, but the hypothetical benefits outweighed those risks. “Will you allow it?”

Leo sighed and gave Niles his most pointed look. “If he behaves.”

“Rest assured, Lord Leo,” Niles dipped into a bow. “I know better than to bring shame to my lord while in a foreign kingdom.”

“Then I suppose I can allow it.” Leo shook his head and sighed again, and that was the end of it. He spent the rest of breakfast discussing the possibility and timeline of future visits, but Minerva did not miss the glances he kept throwing at Niles. Everyone was throwing glances at Niles that morning. Maria, Palla, and Odin couldn’t stop glancing his way, no matter how much they pretended to be focused on breakfast. Minerva had no doubt those looks would continue.

Leo and Odin departed soon after breakfast, with Leo’s assurance that he would return with news in a month’s time. Minerva stood firm and straight and watched until he disappeared beyond the walls of the Aerie. One he was gone, she turned to Niles. “You are certain you do not wish to go with him?”

Niles shrugged. “He’ll be fine. Lord Leo is quite capable.”

“It is not Prince Leo that concerns me.”

“Harsh, princess.” Nonetheless, Niles flashed a winning smile. “You needn’t worry about a thing. I’ll make myself so maddeningly useful you’ll wonder how you ever got by without me. Don’t you remember how competent I am?”

“Skill in battle is different from skill in running a kingdom,” Minerva said. The words cut her deep as she said them. She knew that fact all too well. “I have a busy day ahead. Try to keep up.”

She turned on her heel and headed back into the Aerie. Behind her, Niles chuckled. “I’ll give it all I’ve got, princess,” he murmured, and followed after her.

 

* * *

 

Normally Minerva spent her mornings training, not willing to let her fighting skills slip in case Macedon’s peace turned out to be short-lived. This morning, however, she and Niles had lingered too long in bed for that. Instead she was forced to skip her training and begin the morning with a tour of the grounds so she could check in on everything.

Niles joined her. Minerva’s generals gave Niles odd looks all throughout their reports. They said nothing, but their suspicion was palpable, and every uneasy look sent Niles’s way only added to Minerva’s unease. _Perhaps this was a bad idea after all,_ she thought as she walked from the outer training grounds to the inner stables, Niles at her side.

He remained quiet. She would have expected a bevy of quips already, but so far, nothing. He seemed content to watch, his one eye observing everything as Minerva went about her morning routine. It did little to help her unease, but she had nothing to break the silence.

The tour of the grounds ended at the far pasture, where the Whitewings often trained. Minerva stepped through the gate and heard the familiar flapping of wings. When she looked up, a flurry of white and green filled her vision as Palla swooped down in front of her and saluted. “Minerva.”

Catria and Est followed soon after their sister, also landing and saluting Minerva. Minerva nodded to the three of them. “Nothing out of the usual?”

“Everything is ordinary,” said Palla. “We followed Prince Leo to the edge of the forest to ensure no harm came to him. They seemed to reach their gate without issue.”

“Good.” Minerva glanced to Niles. “I suppose this means you truly are stuck here for the time being.”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think I can handle it, princess?”

Minerva raised an eyebrow in return. “You really do insist on calling me that despite my station, don’t you?”

“Like I said, ‘queenie’ doesn’t flow off the tongue quite as well.”  Niles crossed his arms. “You didn’t mind it last night.”

The Whitewings exchanged glances. Minerva was starting to get sick of all the glances and looks. “That’s because last night you weren’t using it in front of my subjects.”

“Fair.” Niles crossed his arms and looked between Minerva and the Whitewings, noticing their suspicious looks. “Dear me, I can’t help but feel like I’m intruding. Perhaps I should step out for a spell and allow you some alone time with your dear Whitewings? They don’t seem happy to have me here.”

The sisters bristled at the remark. Minerva, for her part, was equal parts annoyed and relieved by his honesty. “Yes, I think some time to discuss things alone would be appreciated.” she put her hand on Niles’s shoulder to turn him around and push him away. “If you want to make yourself useful, perhaps you can help the archers train. They could learn a great deal from you.”

“We’ll see if they allow me into their training circle first. But I suppose I’ll have to find out.” Niles waved a hand over his shoulder as he walked off. “Don’t be too vicious about me behind my back, princess.”

As soon as he was gone, Minerva slumped and sighed. Palla looked at her in concern. “Are you going to be okay with him here, Minerva? He seems… taxing.”

“He both is and isn’t.” Minerva wished she could put it into better words than that. She wished she could explain the nights they had spent together in Aytolis, completely content in each other’s presence with their worries forgotten. With Niles staying, she had hoped she could recapture that peace of mind. So far, no such luck. “It will take some time for things to adjust while he settles in, but he _is_ a remarkably competent man in his own right. I have no doubt he’ll prove himself useful in time.”

Est frowned. “With all due respect, commander, he just seems rude to me.”

“Exceedingly so,” Catria said. “Are you certain he won’t be more trouble than he’s worth?”

_I hope not,_ Minerva thought, tensing at the notion. She did not need more stress to deal with. “I am placing my trust in him for now. Should he fail to live up to it, I will deal with him myself.”

Palla watched Minerva for a moment, her brow furrowed. She turned to her sisters. “You heard the commander,” she said, voice firm. “If she trusts him, then we will too. Understood?”

Catria and Est instantly nodded. Minerva breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she said. “I am humbled by your faith in me. I can only hope I do not let you down.”

“So far, you never have.” Palla smiled at her. “No matter what happens, Minerva, we trust you, so we’ll do our best to put our doubts about Niles aside. It’s the least we can do.”

“If only the rest of my subjects would do the same…” Minerva thought back to the suspicious looks her generals had given Niles, and her mood soured. _If Michalis had brought Niles into the Aerie, they would have accepted him instantly._

Palla noted her dark expression. “We’ll do what we can to bring them around,” she said. “Just give them some time, Minerva. They’ll come around.”

Minerva sighed. “We can only hope.”

“Then we’ll hope as hard as we can.” Palla turned to her sisters. “Catria, Est, why don’t you try and spread the word that Niles is trustworthy? Tell everyone you can that he’s an old ally of Minerva’s. Perhaps that will help him earn some trust.”

“Good idea.” Catria smiled and picked up her pegasus’s reins. “Are you coming?”

“I’ll join up with you soon,” Palla said. “I just want to talk to Minerva about something first.”

Her sisters nodded and saluted. Their pegasi took off in a flurry of wings and swishing tails. Minerva watched them go, then turned her gaze towards Palla. “You want to ask about Niles.”

It was not a question. Palla knew as much. “I am… curious as to exactly what your relationship with him is,” she said. The words were chosen carefully, her expression guarded and uncertain. “I am aware that the two of you slept together on several occasions, but I’m wondering how much further it went, seeing how you’re letting him stay. Are things…. _serious_ between you two?”

Minerva paused. She hadn’t given much thought to how serious their relationship was. She wouldn’t consider him a lover, and yet, he was more than just a fling… but whatever that middle ground was, she had no name for it. “I… respect him,” she said at last. “And we can work well together. Beyond that, I can’t be sure. I can’t even say with certainty how he feels about me, other than that he desires my company and respects my competence.”

Palla laughed. “So his missing eye hasn’t affected his perception much, if he noticed your skill.”

“Perhaps not.” Minerva managed a smile. “I just hope he proves as useful here in Macedon as he did in Aytolis. At the very least, I can look forward to having company in the coming nights.”

“Then I hope he meets expectations.” Palla smiled back. “From what you say, he seems promising. You are a good judge of character, Minerva. I’ll trust your judgement.”

“I am honored you think so highly of me, Palla.” Minerva said. As much as she appreciated Palla’s support, she still felt uneasy. She wished she could trust her own judgement as much as Palla did. “Thank you for standing by me.”

Palla bowed. “Of course, Minerva. Always.”

Minerva’s heart ached. Even if her subjects doubted her, she always had Palla’s loyalty. She wondered what she had done to earn such devotion. “I will leave you to your work,” she said. “And gods willing, I hope I can join you and your sisters for a flight soon. My wyvern is no doubt restless.”

“I will be looking forward to that, Minerva.” Palla straightened and smiled again. “Until then, best of luck.”

She turned her pegasus around and took flight, soaring into the sky on fluttering wings. Minerva watched her go and wished desperately to join her. She would give everything to mount her wyvern and take off through the clouds, leaving her worries behind on the ground. If only she could fly away from it all.

Instead, she sighed and went to find Niles.

 

* * *

 

 Niles, true to his word, spent the rest of the day at her side. They didn’t talk much. Niles mostly stayed back and watched as Minerva conducted her business, taking in the proceedings with an inscrutable expression. Unless he was spoken to, he said nothing. Minerva didn’t had much to say to him even when they were alone. It had been similar in Aytolis, she supposed, considering how they rarely interacted outside of battles or their late night trysts. They simply weren’t accustomed to small talk. Neither of them knew how to start.

It wasn’t until they retired to her chambers that evening when Minerva felt the tension lift. “Finally, some familiar territory,” Niles murmured, unhooking his cloak and tossing it aside. “Perhaps now I can finally get you to relax. You were so _unbearably_ tense today, princess.”

“Was I so obvious?” Minerva’s voice was weary as she unclasped her cape and draped it over the back of the chair. “I was hoping that I came across more at ease than I did.”

Niles snorted. “Hardly. You acted like a caged wyvern all day.”

“I see.” Minerva sighed. His words stung, but at least Niles was honest in a way her courtiers would never be. No doubt they thought the same as him, but dared not say it. The thought was not comforting. “I have no talent for this, Niles. I am not Michalis.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not necessarily.” Minerva sat on the bed, her shoulders slumping. “Michalis was blinded by his ambition, but he was an effortless ruler. Our people called him King Iote reborn, the incarnation of Macedon’s legendary first king, and for my entire life I failed to meet the example he set. He was the better fighter, the better rider, and above all, the better ruler. When I defeated him I shook off the shadow of the first two, but not the latter.”

Niles sat beside her. “So you fear that your subjects measure you against him and wish your dear older brother still had the throne?” He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like they can replace you so easily. Michalis is dead.”

She winced and looked away. “He lives.”

“He _what?_ ”

“He lives.” Minerva held her face in her hands. “It was Maria. She begged me to spare him, and I could not deny her. Her pleas stayed my hand. Michalis lives, but he lives as a prisoner within the Aerie, kept guarded night and day. He has not forgiven me for the humiliation, nor does he think I will succeed as a ruler. Perhaps he is right.”

“By all the hells…” Niles leaned back and sighe. “First Corrin, now this. I am awash with princesses and their damn bleeding hearts. How am I meant to maintain my loathing for royalty when they keep showing so much bloody sympathy?”

“You are not alone in thinking I am too sympathetic.” Minerva’s voice was bitter. “Michalis believes the same. He claims I will never be a successful ruler as long as long as my kindness weakens me.”

Niles scoffed. “Then he’s dumber than I thought.”

Minerva glanced up, blinking. “That is not something I expected to hear from you.”

“Believe me, it’s strange to hear myself say it.” Niles shrugged. “But it’s been an interesting three years. Lord Leo never did manage to tell you, but that hidden kingdom we mentioned, Valla? Corrin’s the queen of it now. And let me tell you, no one’s heart bleeds more than Corrin’s. It’s nearly gotten her killed on several occasions -- but if she wasn’t such a damn sweet thing, Nohr and Hoshido would still be at war. Xander and Ryoma may be carrying out their own ‘diplomatic affairs’ in secret, but they never would have considered it if not for their shared brotherly love for dear, sweet Corrin.”

Minerva recalled what she had seen of Corrin back in Aytolis. She had not spent much time with her, but she remembered Corrin as a kind and loving princess who spoke often of her family, sometimes to the point where Minerva wondered if she ever spoke of anything other than her family and her dreams of peace. Corrin’s family had been just as single-minded when it came to protecting her. “And Corrin has been doing well as queen?”

“Absurdly so. Her people love her.” Niles rolled his eyes. “Everyone loves Corrin. I’m not ashamed to admit I have a soft spot for her myself, even if her insistence on pacifism can get quite taxing. But her people adore her, so clearly she’s doing something right.”

“That may be so, but…” Minerva sighed and removed her crown, holding it in her hands and staring at it. The gold-wrought wyverns seemed to look at her with a mocking gaze. “I do not know how I can follow her example.”

Niles was silent, gazing at her crown. At last he shrugged and plucked it out of her hands. “Then we’ll figure that out later,” he said. He tossed the crown aside and she heard it land on her desk with a clatter. “First off, we need to deal with your tension. You can’t possibly come across as effortless when you refuse to relax, princess.”

He slipped a hand behind her shoulder, pressing his fingers into her back and massaging in a slow, circular motion. She tensed, and he clucked his tongue in disapproval. “Now, now, this isn’t going to work if you won’t ease up for me.”

She scowled at him. He grinned. “Oh, excellent. An expression that isn’t stone-faced or stilted. Wonderful start.”

Her scowl deepened. “I should throw you out for the insult.”

“But you’re not going to, hmmm?” Niles leaned in, his hand still rubbing circles on her back as he purred into her ear. His other hand was slowly trailing up her thigh. “I guess you’ll have to settle for being rough and cruel to me…”

“That’s hardly a punishment for you.” Minerva tried to hide how her breath hitched and her body shifted. From how Niles chuckled, it seemed she had failed to conceal it. His lips brushed her ear, and he whispered something soft, husky, and utterly filthy.

It was enough reason for her to accept defeat. Her worries temporarily banished, she turned to Niles, holding him in an iron grip, and pulled him close.

He let himself be pulled, even leaned in to welcome it, and their bodies pressed flush against each other as they kissed. His warmth against her was a solid distraction, as were the deft hands that found the seams beneath her armor and dug in. His fingers rubbed insistent circles where she was most tense, and she moaned. Everything had been wound tight threatened to come undone.

Niles broke the kiss. “You really did need this, didn’t you?” he asked, his voice a husky murmur. His fingers dug into a knot under her muscles, and she arched into the touch. He chuckled. “Let me guess… you didn’t have anyone else to warm your bed while I was away?”

She glared at him, or at least glared as best she could while his fingers were working at her most vulnerable spots. “I was fighting a war and running a kingdom. Where would I find the time?”

“You’re competent, I’m sure you could manage some multitasking.” Niles undid the buckles of her armor with ease, which was surprising, considering that he never bothered to look at them as he did it. His eye was on her the entire time, smoldering.

She huffed. “I had better things to worry about.”  
“Maybe. Or…” Niles leaned in, a smirk playing on his lips. “...Maybe you couldn’t find anyone that would measure up to me, princess.”

“Your arrogance is astounding.” Minerva pulled off her breastplate once the buckles were undone, not caring where it ended up as she tossed it aside. “You are not the only man I’ve taken to my bed.”

“But have you taken anyone to your bed since Aytolis?”

She narrowed her eyes. Niles was looking at her, entirely too smug, and she was certain that he already knew the answer. “...No.”

“See? No one measured up to me.” Niles purred and leaned closer. “I’m flattered.”

“Stop blathering.” Minerva shoved him back and scowled. “You’re not here in my bed so you can stroke your own ego. You’re here because you promised to help me with my tension. If you aren’t going to make yourself useful, you can leave.”

Niles laughed. “Ah, how cruel you can be, princess. So quick to remind me of my place.” His fingers brushed over her chest, toying with the fastenings of her overcoat as he worked to undo them. His smirk never faltered. “You’re always the dominant one when it comes to our trysts. I wonder if I’ll ever get the privilege of reversing our roles.”

Minerva snorted. “Continue making yourself useful, and I’ll think about it.”

“Oooh, a challenge. Wonderful.” Niles’s eye gleamed. “I’ll just have to prove myself worthy.”

He leaned in to kiss her again, and she accepted it without hesitation. As always, their kisses were rough, wasting little time on teasing before they rushed headlong into ravishing each other. She gripped him tight, and he gripped her tighter. It wasn’t long before Minerva had forgotten their conversation entirely.

Niles tugged on her overcoat until he had pulled it off. She set to work on his tunic. They broke the kiss briefly a few times to focus on disrobing, but always dove back into it. It wasn’t until they were both fully nude that they could tear their focus away long enough for Minerva to push Niles down and straddle him.

He laughed and rolled his hips against her. “Impatient as always.”

“Shut up.” Minerva pressed down and ground against him, focusing on the heat of his cock instead of the smug look on his face. She enjoyed watching that smug look dissolve into a barely stifled groan. “You want this just as much as I do.”

“You’re not wrong.” Niles shifted his hips, angling his erection against her so that it was poised in just the right spot. “So don’t keep me waiting, princess.”

She had half a mind to scold him for his insolence. Instead, she took his invitation and sank down, letting him fill her completely. They set a brisk pace from the start and never let themselves falter. Minerva felt her worries dissolve and her tension unwind, all the anxieties from the day replaced by building waves of pleasure, and the feel of Niles driving into her as she rode him.

She lost track of time, but it seemed like both an eternity and not long enough before the pleasure was too much to bear. Her back arched, and her moans rose up to a strangled yell as her climax hit. The orgasm came in sudden, intense waves that rocked her as hard as Niles’s thrusts had. At some point during her orgasm, she heard Niles reach his. Their resulting moans threatened to drown each other other out.

The orgasm passed. Minerva had just enough energy to pull herself off of Niles and collapse to the side. Her face hit the pillow and she couldn’t bring herself to care, focusing instead on regaining her bearings and her breath.

“So, do I still measure up?”

Minerva grunted and rolled over. Niles was looking at her, smug as usual. “I don’t understand how you catch your breath so quickly after climax,” she said. “It’s maddening.”

“You didn’t answer my question, Minerva.”

“About whether or not you measure up?” Minerva rolled her eyes. “We’ve been over this. Six and a half inches is above average at best.”

“Clever, princess. But not what I was talking about.” Niles rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his hand. “I’m more about skill than size anyways. I measure up plenty in that department, don’t I?”

Minerva sighed. “You’re still on about how I didn’t take any other lovers after you, aren’t you?”

“Oooh, so I’m your lover now? You really do care!”

Minerva glared at him. “All the skill in the world couldn’t measure up to how maddening your tongue is, but since you must know, yes, you still measure up. Now press this subject no further.”

“If you insist.” Niles rolled over on his back, and they lay there in silence. Minerva focused on catching her breath. She would have to go another round after that - probably several. There was still a lot of tension she needed to burn off.

Niles spoke. “I tried fucking others after you, you know.”

Minerva scowled. “And this is relevant how?”

He shrugged. “Just wanted to say none of them were nearly as satisfying to fuck as you,” he said. “Thought you might like to know that.”

That left her speechless. She wasn’t sure what to do with that information, or even how to feel about it. Was it even meant as a compliment? With Niles, she could never tell. She had a nagging suspicion it _was_ meant with genuine affection, and that left her even more unsure of how to respond.

Instead, she rolled on top of him and placed her hands on either side of his head. “If I satisfied you that much, surely you won’t object to another round.”

Niles grinned. “Not at all, princess.” He wrapped his arms around his neck and tangled his fingers in her hair. “Not at all.”

 

* * *

 

 A week passed. Minerva’s tension slowly dissipated with each night spent with Niles.

Her anxieties remained.

Her generals still grumbled under their breath when they thought she couldn’t hear. Her advisors whispered behind her back. Everywhere she went she felt their looks of worry and unease, and she loathed how was the result of her own incompetence. Most days she did not even have Niles at her side  keep her company. He had taken to vanishing for what he cryptically described as “reconnaissance,” only returning when night fell and it was time to retire to her chambers. She was suspicious of it, but she hadn’t heard reports of trouble yet, so she allowed it for the time being.

The end of the week found her at the stables, visiting Athene once more. Athene perked up even before realizing that Minerva had brought apples with her, and Minerva managed to smile at that. _At least there is someone here who can’t talk behind my back,_ she thought, stroking Athene’s mane as she ate.

It felt like too long since she had been among the familiar scent of hay and feathers. Athene nosed against her and got her armor covered in hair and soft down. Minerva laughed and brushed it off. “If only I had the time to ride you,” she murmured, stroking her pegasus’s nose.

Athene jerked back with a whinny. Minerva stepped back, fearful she had done something wrong. It wasn’t until she heard a chorus of stamping hooves that she realized all the pegasi in the stable were reacting to something, not just Athene, so it couldn’t have been something she did. When she went to the stall door to check, she saw Niles backing out of the stable entrance. “My mistake” said Niles, hands held up in surrender. “I forgot that pegasi in this country don’t like men. Deeply sorry.”

Minerva sighed. If Niles had sought her out in the stables, he had something to say to her. Reluctantly, she left Athene’s stall.

Niles waited for her outside the stables, leaning against the fence and twirling an arrow in his fingers. “Put that away,” Minerva said, frowning. “The pegasi are worked up enough without having arrows around as well.”

“Of course,sorry about that.” Niles slid the arrow back into his quiver. Despite his mistake of walking into the stables, he looked rather pleased with himself. “So sorry to interrupt, princess, but I have a proposal for you.”

“How bold.” Minerva’s voice was dry. “We have known each other a mere few months.”

“Hah! And here I thought you didn’t have a sarcastic bone in your body.” Niles laughed and straightened. “Alas, princess, it’s not that sort of proposal. It’s something to help you with your royal problems.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“Good. You see…” Niles came to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You were concerned about what your people think of you, am I right?”

“I was.”

“Well I got to thinking…” Niles leaned closer and pressed a finger to her chest. “...How can you know what your people _really_ think of you if you don’t go to the people themselves? I know for a fact you’ve been too busy to leave this Aerie of yours. Maybe you just need to get out of the castle and among the people, see what their opinion of you really is. I’ve already arranged it so that you’ve got a convenient gap in your schedule three evenings from now.”

Minerva frowned. “Do I want to know how you managed that?”

“Let’s just say I owe Princess Maria favor. Anyways--” Niles waved it aside. “You need to get out and about, and I’ve been checking out the town below the Aerie, so I know just where to take you for a good night of adventure, excitement, and secretly observing your subjects. Shall we go together? We’ll make it a little date.”

He gave her a crooked grin. Minerva got the sense he was entirely too eager for such an excursion, and as much as that worried her… “I take it you’ve already arranged a disguise for me as well.”

“Of course I have.” Niles placed a hand over his heart, looking offended. “Did you think I wouldn’t have considered that? Really, princess, I’m insulted.”

“Spare me the insincerity.” Minerva rolled her eyes, but she turned to Niles and wrapped an arm around his waist. From his surprised look, he hadn’t expected that. “Still… I suppose I can humor you, seeing how you went out of your way to arrange this for my sake.”

“Of course.” Niles smiled, eye half-lidded as he leaned in. “And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to a lovely evening out and about with the Red Dragoon.”

“Mmmhmmm.” Minerva stepped back and pulled him closer. He came willingly. “You went to such lengths... investigating the town on your own, taking it upon yourself to clear my schedule, preparing a disguise…”

“All for you, princess.” Nile’s words were a husky purr. “Haven’t I been such a good boy?”

“You have…” Minerva spun them around and dipped him low. “There’s just one small thing I’d like you to keep in mind for next time, Niles.”

Niles shivered, loose and limp in Minerva’s hold, allowing her to do as she wished. “Name it, sweetheart.”

She smiled a thin, dangerous smile. “Next time, ask my permission first.”

Then she released him, stepped back, and watched as he fell flailing into the water trough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again with a sex scene that's more characterization and plot development than anything else. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?
> 
> Oh well, I at least hope you guys liked it. No sex scene next chapter, but I think you'll enjoy what I've got lined up for it... ;)


	5. A Night On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva gets to hear what her subjects really think of her... and also gets a glimpse into what Niles really thinks of her.

It was easy enough to leave the Aerie unnoticed. Niles’s disguise left her unrecognizable among her subjects -- which surprised her, considering how it was just drab clothes and black hair dye that he assured her would come out after a thorough washing. She kept expecting a servant to recognize her, but no one even turned her way. They left the Aerie without incident.

They made it outside the Aerie gates just as the sun was starting to set. “Excellent,” said Niles, glancing at the position of the sun. “Right on time. This way, princess.”

Minerva followed him, although she could not help but pause and glance behind her at the Aerie. It loomed high, pegasus knights and dracoknights still circling the spires as they kept watch. It felt like too long since she had seen it from outside. She realized with a start just how much time she had spent cooped up in the Aerie.

Niles led her to the foot of the mountain that the Aerie rested on, and the lights of the village below came steadily into view. It occured to Minerva that she hadn’t set foot in the village in years. The last time had been seven years ago, before her father was killed. He had ridden through the streets for the yearly parade, greeted by cheers and shouts of praise. Michalis had followed behind him, greeted by more cheering. She had come third. She couldn’t remember if she’d gotten cheers or not.

They arrived to find the town the same as she remembered. Cobbled streets ran through closely knit brick houses, converging in town square where the market was held every day. The vendors were already closing up shop when they passed through. No one spared her and Niles a second glance.

The road took them towards the far edge of town, where the brick houses gave way to wood and old stone and the cobbled streets gave way to dirt. Niles took them right up to the threshold where the streets were still partly cobbled and the houses still partly brick, and sitting neatly on that threshold was an old tavern, its lanterns warm and bright and the inside full of laughter and music. Niles led her in.

The tavern was only half-full, since it was too early for the regular crowd to come in full force. Minerva tried not to make her staring too apparent, but she had never been in a tavern before, and it was hard not to look around in curiosity. The tables and benches were hewn from rough wood, with a hearth burning in the back and  a lone minstrel tuning his lute in the corner. A barmaid was cleaning mugs behind the counter.

Niles headed for the barmaid. “Ah, Gwen. Good evening.” He leaned against the bar and flashed a winning smile. “Lovely to see you on duty tonight. Two drinks for me and my friend here?”

Gwen glanced up at him and smiled. “Be right with you,” she said, winking over her shoulder as she went to do just that.

Niles glanced at Minerva, saw her questioning look, and shrugged. “She likes me because I tip well. Makes it easier to gather scandalous gossip that way.”

“I see.” Minerva said, then fell silent as Gwen returned with their drinks. They took their mugs and Niles headed to a table towards the back. It wasn’t until they were seated that she spoke again. “Where have you gotten Macedonian coin to pay your tab?”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “I hope you’re not accusing me of going back to my old ways.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything.” Minerva frowned and picked up her mug. “I simply want to know.”

“Very well. If you must know, I sold off some things at the market.” Niles leaned back and took a drink of his ale. “I didn’t need three extra daggers, and as it turns out, Macedonian merchants will pay good coin for weapons on unusual make. Never mind that they’re actually of quite common make back in Nohr.”

“Ah.” Minerva nodded, curiosity satisfied, and cautiously sipped her ale. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d feared it would be. She had drank far worse while on the road with Marth’s army. It was still a far cry from the wine back at the Aerie, but it was passable, so she took another drink.

A few more people filtered into the tavern. Minerva watched over the rim of her tankard. “It doesn’t seem very busy here.”

“Give it time, princess. It’s not peak hours yet.” Niles also watched the door over the rim of his tankard, but apparently didn’t see anyone he recognized, because he put his mug down and looked back to her. “The regular crowd will be here soon enough. Right now it’s just you and me.”

He leaned in with a purr. She looked at him askance. “I’m still not sure what you expect to achieve tonight.”

“Like I said, we’re going to see what your subjects think of you.”

“Yes, but how?”

“Don’t worry. I have plans.” Niles leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head, kicking his feet up on the table. “With any luck, one of the fellows I’ve become acquainted with will be in tonight, and they can keep us company. But why rush it? Let’s enjoy our date before we’re interrupted.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “Sitting in silence and drinking ale is not my idea of a date.”

“Ah-ah, but we’re not sitting in silence.” Niles wagged his finger at her. “You’re talking to me right now. Why don’t we do more of that?”

“I believe we established that neither of us is good at small talk.” Minerva set her mug down. As much as she would have liked to be optimistic, she did not see much good coming out of their excursion. It was a distraction at best. “So there is little we can do, unless you have something you want to say.”

“Well as it just so happens, I do.” Niles leaned over, his voice dropping slightly. “A simple question I’ve been meaning to ask, as a matter of fact.”

His voice took on a serious note that gave her pause. “You may ask it.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Did you miss me?”

“Beg pardon?”

“When I left for Nohr.” Niles shifted, taking his feet down from the table so that he could lean in. “I never did get a straight answer from you on that front. Did you miss me?”

Minerva frowned. “Niles, if this is a continuation of what you asked the other night--”

“Answer the question, Minerva.”

His tone was hard. Minerva paused and met his eye. She saw not even the barest shred of mirth.  She frowned, but answered. “Of course I missed you.”

He relaxed. She had not even realized he was tensing. “Why did you miss me?”

She hesitated. It was something she had often wondered herself, but never been bold enough to think over. Part of her had been scared to know the answer. She feared it would hurt too much to know while she and Niles were separated and worlds apart. It had been much easier to pretend there was nothing between them --  but she could not deny she had missed him. “That is… difficult for me to put into words.”

“In other words, you don’t know.”

Minerva scowled at him. “I have not had three years to mull over this as you have,” she said. “Nor have I been idle. There has been no shortage of things that demanded my attention in Macedon. I have not had the time to spend wondering why I could not get you out of my thoughts, or why I would hear your voice at the worst moments.”

“You heard my voice?” Niles’s lips curled into a smile. “Oh my, how _romantic._ Or possibly delusional, I suppose, but I like the first one better. You must have been smitten with me, princess.”

“Quit blathering.” Minerva scowled at him. “Why did you even ask me such a question?”

Niles hesitated. “Well, because--”

“Niles, you scoundrel, there you are!” A tall figure loomed over their table. Minerva looked up to see a grizzled bear of a man, arms crossed over a broad barrel of a chest. Behind him stood a handful of similar men. He smacked a fist into his palm. “Tonight’s the night we settle scores.”

Minerva stood, ready to fight. Niles reached up and pulled her back down. “Easy, sweetheart, it’s just our company for the night,” he said. He turned to the strange man and flashed a crooked grin. “Viktor, I had a feeling I’d see you tonight. Still sour over that game of dice?”

“If you thought I was going to let you walk away with a week’s worth of wages, then whoever took out your eye must have taken out some of your brains as well.” Viktor glanced over at Minerva. She tensed, expecting to be recognized at any moment. Instead, he looked her over with no apparent recognition. “Who’s this lass, Niles? Some squeeze of yours?”

Minerva bristled. Niles gave Viktor a pointed look. “The lass has a name, you know.”

“And what’s that?”

“Val.” Minerva spoke before Niles could, choosing the first name that came to mind. She scowled at Viktor. “And I’d rather not be referred to as simply Niles’s ‘squeeze.’”

“Yes, quite insulting, really.” Niles nodded emphatically. “If one of us has to be anything, it’s much more accurate to say that I’m _her_ fucktoy.”

Minerva smacked Niles on the shoulder. Viktor just laughed. “Seems more like she’s the one holding your leash.” He slid into a seat across from them, and his crew followed suit. “She can join us for our dice game, then. I hope you brought my money back with you.”

Niles wagged his finger. “Tut tut, it’s _my_ money now. I won it off you fair and square.”

Minerva glanced over at Niles. “So you’ve been lining your pockets through gambling as well, I see.”

“Don’t look at me, _Val._ ” The name sounded a little stiff and unnatural on his tongue, but he glossed over it by continuing. “This town is full of reckless fools who are all too eager to part with their money. Really, I’m teaching them a lesson in moderation. You should thank me.”

Half of Viktor’s crew glared at Niles. Minerva sighed. “And here I had hoped you were busy making friends in town, not enemies.”

“I don’t make friends, sweetheart. I thought you knew that.”

“Enough talk.” Viktor smacked a bag down on the table, a few dice scattering out of it. “I don’t want to waste time, Niles. Is your friend playing with us or not?”

“I may as well.” Minerva rolled her eyes and pushed her mug aside. “If only so someone is able to humble Niles tonight.”

Niles laughed. “Goodness me, I truly am feeling the love.”

Viktor smacked two coins down on the table. His crew added their own coin. “When I’m done with you, all you’ll be feeling is shame.”

“Ooooh, love and then shame, all in one night. You really do plan to treat me roughly.” Niles winked and placed two coins in front of him, sliding them towards the center of the table. “Sorry to say, Viktor, but you’re just not my type. Val here treats me so much better.”

“She must have to gag you, with your mouth being the way it is.” Viktor dumped the contents of the dice bag on the table. “I’d go mad if I had to listen to you during a fuck.”

“Now there’s an idea,” Minerva murmured. She put down two coins. “Thank you for the suggestion.”

Viktor laughed. “Well if you liked the sound of that idea, then you’re alright in my book.” He handed her two dice. “I just wonder how you stay sane with this bloody fool.”

“He has his virtues.” Minerva set the dice down in front of her and picked up her mug. After a long swig, she added, “They’re just few and far between.”

The entire table laughed at that. Even Niles chuckled. “Isn’t she sweet to me, fellows?”

“Aye, she’s gonna have to be, with how we’ll treat you tonight.” Viktor finished doling out dice to everyone around the table. Gwen came over to deliver drinks to him and his crew, and he tossed her a coin as she left. Everyone seemed to settle in with ease, relaxing with their drinks and preparing their dice in front of them. No one gave her a second glance or seemed to recognize who she really was. Slowly, Minerva relaxed.

The game began. As they went around the table making their first rolls, Niles sipped his drink and watched Viktor with mild interest. “So, what’s new? Any scandalous gossip making the rounds?”

Viktor scoffed. “If there was, you would be the first to know.” He picked up his dice and let them rattle in his hand. “Word is that you’ve been poking your nose into all sorts of places you don’t belong. Petar’s sister swears she saw you at the Aerie. How you got in there without getting cleaved in two by a dracoknight, I haven’t a bloody clue.”

He rolled his dice and cursed the result. Niles laughed and pulled Viktor’s coin over to him. “It never occurred to you that I might be there by invitation?”

“Yes, and Val here is bloody Queen Minerva herself.” Minerva tensed, but Viktor just followed up his words with a scoff. “They wouldn’t let a scoundrel like you into the Aerie.”

“You sure? I can be _very_ charming when I want to be.” Niles smirked and stacked his coins up in a neat little pile, leaving in plain view for Viktor to glower at. “Although I do suppose Queen Minerva would see right through me, wouldn’t she?”

“Damn right.” Viktor scowled. “Minerva’s got two good eyes in her head, unlike you.”

“And _I_ have a stack of good coin, unlike you.”

Minerva ignored how Viktor growled and glared at Niles. She was too busy processing his words of praise. She had not expected her subjects to jump to her defense so readily.

Niles nudged her. “Val, sweetheart, it’s your turn to roll.”

Minerva blinked, her musings interrupted and leaving her disoriented. She covered it up with a quick roll of the dice. When they landed, she shot Niles a wry look and held out a hand. “Looks like I get your stack of good coin now.”

Viktor and his crew roared with laughter. Niles rolled his eyes and slid his coin over to her. “Fine, don’t spend it all in one place now.” He winked. “Unless, of course, you plan to spend it all on me.”

Minerva snorted. “Not very likely.”

“Oh, I like her.” Viktor grinned and nudged the friend on his left. “Ennio, go get a refill for the lass here. She’s going to make this night fun.”

“How quaint,” Niles said, smirking at Minerva. “That’s what I say to her every night.”

Minerva ignored him in favor handing her mug to Ennio so he could refill it. The ale was settling into her system, her body humming with the tingle of mild intoxication, just light enough to keep her warm. It gave her the courage for some bold questions she might not have voiced otherwise. “You seem fond of Queen Minerva,” she said to Viktor.

“Of course I am.” Viktor frowned at her. “She kicked out Dolhr and smacked down that bastard brother of hers. You been hiding under a rock lately?”

“Val here has been quite busy.” Niles spoke with an ease and nonchalance that Minerva would not have had in that situation, so for once she was grateful for his intrusion. “And she hasn’t been traveling around Macedon in such a long time. Poor darling’s been going stir-crazy with work. You’ll have to forgive her for being out of touch.”

“Hmmph.” Viktor shook his head. “Well, since you don’t know, Minerva’s a far better ruler than that bastard Michalis. I don’t know what happened to him. He had such promise as a kid, you know? Something must have poisoned him along the way, turned him into a right prick.”

“Is that a common sentiment around here?”

In response, Viktor raised his voice and addressed the crowd. “Hey!” He yelled. “Fuck Michalis!”

He got a chorus of “fuck Michalis!” in return. A few bar patrons spat on the floor to show their displeasure. One man sitting at the bar raised his tankard. “Fuck Michalis, and bless Minerva!”

“Aye, Bless Minerva!” Viktor raised his tankard high. “Long live the Red Dragoon!”

Minerva sat in stunned silence. Thankfully no one addressed her, as Viktor’s friends were busy talking amongst themselves. “I remember seeing her ride into battle for the first time,” said one, musing into his tankard. “There she was in the sky, soaring down from the Aerie, clad in red armor and clutching that mighty axe. She looked like a real daughter of Iote.”

“Aye, all fire and fury.” Ennio returned and handed Minerva her tankard. “But such a kind soul underneath all that armor, keeping little Princess Maria safe all those years and slipping coin towards the village folk whenever Michalis wasn’t looking.”

Viktor nodded his agreement. “Maybe too kind, sometimes, sparing Michalis when he didn’t deserve it,” he said. Minerva’s heart sank, but then he continued. “But I’d rather a Queen who’s too kind than a King who invites war. Michalis can rot in that Aerie.”

“The bastard sent my brother to the front lines just because he was reluctant to fight, so he can rot in more than just the Aerie for all I care.” Ennio clenched his hand into a fist. “Good riddance to King Michalis, and long live Queen Minerva. And fuck all those old-fashioned geezers who bitch about her having the Hauteclere and Iote’s Shield. She can break tradition for both.”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“Tradition dictates that Iote’s Shield goes to the firstborn heir, and the Hauteclere to the second child.” Minerva found her tongue, grateful she could explain something familiar to her. “The ruler is never meant to have both. If the firstborn dies and the second child succeeds them, Iote’s Shield is passed down to the new ruler and the Hauteclere is passed down to the next in line.”

“How odd.” Niles tapped the rim of his mug. “I would have thought the ruler would be expected to wield both, especially considering how powerful the Hauteclere is.”

Minerva took a drink to wet her lips, then spoke. “If the ruler on the throne wields the Hauteclere, they may use its power against their own subjects,” she said. “A ruler should be strong and resolute, invulnerable in the face of danger, but never a threat to their own people. Therefore, the firstborn wields to shield to keep themselves out of harm, and the next in line wields the Hauteclere to protect the monarch -- as well as provide insurance, should their liege get out of hand. It a system meant to balance itself.”

“I see.” Niles glanced over to Minerva, his one eye saying a great deal without him needing any words. Minerva knew what he was thinking. He knew that Michalis had given up Maria as a hostage purely to keep Minerva from turning on him. It had been Minerva’s duty to use the Hauteclere against Michalis if he become a threat to Macedon. Because of her own kind heart and Michalis’s treachery, she had failed in that duty.

She looked into her tankard, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Still, Viktor’s words about preferring a kind queen to a warlike king returned to her. Perhaps they did not blame her for that failing. It had been common enough knowledge that Maria was held in Dolhr, so common that Michalis had been forced to post soldiers throughout Macedon to prevent a riot. If the reactions of the people were any indication, no one had forgotten that, nor had they forgiven Michalis for it.

Viktor and his crew were still talking amongst themselves. “I just wish Queen Minerva would come out of the Aerie every now and again,” said Viktor, frowning as he shook the dice in his hand. “It would help soothe nerves to see her. She gave a speech at the Aerie gates after the war and that was it from her.”

“I hope she hasn’t forgotten us,” said one of Viktor’s friends. “Been poisoned by the crown like Michalis was.”

“Don’t be a fool, Petar. Michalis left this nation a right wreck, it’s only natural she’d have to buckle down and try to undo his mess.” Viktor rolled his dice, grinned at the result, and collected coin from his friends. “She’ll come out one of these days. Hopefully it’ll be sooner than later.”

Minerva felt a stab of guilt. She took a swig of her drink and then spoke. “The solstice festival is due in a few months,” she said. “I’m sure Queen Minerva will arrange for the revival of the royal parade.”

Truth be told, she hadn’t given it much thought She’d been too busy with all her other duties. But if she was to be a good queen, she needed to show that to her people and give them what they wanted. It would be a challenge to arrange the parade on short notice, but perhaps her subjects could forgive a smaller parade than usual, considering they had gone six years without it.

From the way Viktor and his friends brightened at the prospect, it seemed like she might have been right. “Here’s hoping,” said Petar. “We could use that parade again.”

“Mmm, sounds like it’ll be a lovely time.” Niles rolled his dice, putting a little spin on them as they tumbled, and Viktor’s crew groaned the result. Niles laughed. “But let’s not worry about royalty tonight, hmmm? I still have piles of coin to win from you.”

Minerva got the sense that Niles’s comment about not worrying was directed at her specifically. When she looked over to him, the look in his eye confirmed it. “You’re forgetting who currently has the largest pile on table, Niles,” she said, picking up her dice. “You won’t win so easily.”

Niles winked. “Good,” he purred. “I love when you give me a challenge.”

 

* * *

  

The evening stretched on into night. Minerva let her worries slip away with the help of ale and dice, and by midnight she was pleasantly warm and the room was spinning. She couldn’t recall how many tankards she’d had. It seemed like when she drank one down, someone was quick to give her a refill.

Her final roll of the dice was clumsy, and one of the dice nearly rolled onto the floor. “I think you’ve had enough, Val.” Niles plucked Minerva’s tankard out of her hand. “I would hate to have to carry you home. Romantic as it might be, you’re _so_ much heavier than me.”

“Quit blathering…” Minerva leaned against the table and squinted down at the numbers on her dice. A loss. She pushed her pile of coin over to Viktor. “I think I need to stop. I can barely read the numbers on the dice.”

“See? As I said, Val, I think you’ve had enough.”

Minerva glared over at Niles. Viktor just laughed and pulled the pile of coins in closer to him. “I’ve got no problem with us stopping here, since I’m the big winner tonight. This will more than make up for what I lost from Niles.”

“Mmhmm, lucky you.” Niles put down his tankard and stood. Minerva tried to join him, stumbled, and nearly sat back down until Niles took hold of her arm and pulled her up. “C’mon, I’m not letting you sleep this off in a place like this. Let’s get you home.”

“I’m coming.” Minerva allowed Niles to support her, although she still scowled at him for it. By the time they’d made it to the bar she had found her feet and could walk without support, although he still kept an arm around her waist just to be sure. He flipped a few coins to Gwen on their way out.

When they stepped into the cool night air, he turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Enjoy yourself tonight, princess?”

He had the smug look of someone who already knew the answer. She lacked the energy to get annoyed about it, too focused on keeping pace with him as they walked down the darkened streets. “It was… enlightening.”

Niles chuckled. “I told you this date was a good idea.”

“You knew what they would say. You…” Minerva stumbled, paused, and regained herself. “You already knew what they thought of me.”

“Why, princess, of _course_ I knew.” Niles rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I would go into town and not keep my ears and eyes open? Asking about your reputation was one of the very first things I did. There’s been the occasional bitter grouch, but for the most part, your people have nothing but respect for you, and contempt for Michalis.”

Minerva frowned. “Then why not simply tell me?”

Niles shrugged. “Would you have believed me?”

“I trust what you say, Niles. You have never been anything but honest to me.”

His steps faltered. It passed so quickly that Minerva wondered if she had imagined it. “Yes, you might have accepted it as truth, but would you have believed it?” His eye bored into her with a look that knew too much. “This arrangement of ours may be strained and uncertain, and many of your moods are still inscrutable to me, but I can see your hang-ups clear as day. You’ve spent too long telling yourself that you’re inferior to Michalis, princess. It would take more than a few words to change your mind.”

She hated how he was so right. “So not telling me in advance--”

“Was in your best interests, yes.” Niles stopped and turned to her. They stood on a street cast in long shadows, the stars overhead blocked by the roofs of the buildings around them. Even in the dim light, his eye gleamed. “It was best to let you see things for yourself and draw your own conclusions, uninfluenced by anything I said. And, considering how it seems to have worked, I’d say it was well worth that swim I took in the water trough.”

Minerva laughed before she could help it, no more than a throaty chuckle escaping her, but it was enough to bring a grin to Nile’s face. “Ah, there’s something I sorely missed. It feels like an eternity since you last laughed, princess.”

“It feels like it to me as well.” Perhaps it was the ale, perhaps it was her relief at knowing her subjects still respected her, or perhaps it was a combination of many things. Regardless of what it was, it was the first time in ages where she felt like she _could_ laugh. “I… missed it.”

“As did I.” Niles cupped her face in his hand. His touch felt warm. “Like I missed you.”

His words reminded her of what he had asked earlier. “You never told me why you asked that question.”

“What question?”

“Why I missed you.” Minerva reached up and took Niles’s hand in her own. He allowed it, his eye focused on her face. “It was an unusual question for you.”

Niles frowned. His hand dropped to his side. “Unusual.”

“Unusual in that it’s never come up before.” Minerva saw tension in his shoulders and didn’t understand it. She hesitated, but continued. “Before now, you seemed… content with the knowledge that I still wanted you. It was odd for you to suddenly ask if I missed you.”

“Ah…” Niles chuckled, but something about the sound was hollow. “I guess it is strange, isn’t it? A callous scoundrel like me asking such personal questions.”

Minerva frowned. Even when drunk, she could tell that Niles was dodging the question. He looked uncomfortable, his shoulders stiff, his eye glancing away, and his hands twitching at his sides. “Niles, are you going to answer the question or not?”

“Do you want me to?” Niles’s smile was forced and bitter. “Do you truly want to go there, Minerva? Are you ready for what you might find? Or would you rather keep things as they are -- keeping me around as your favorite fuck and never letting ourselves get in too deep? You’re better off keeping me at arm’s length, princess.”

He tried to pull away. Minerva grabbed him and pulled him close. “Niles,” she said, “that was the most idiotic thing you have ever said.”

Niles blinked. “What--”

“You are here because I _missed_ you,” she said, not allowing him to interject. “I did not allow you to stay just because you please me in bed. I allowed you to stay because I was sick of hearing your voice in my head and fearing I would never hear the real thing again, for reasons I didn’t understand and _still_ don’t understand. I have no idea what I am to you, but back in Aytolis, we were partners. I fought with you. I was prepared to _die_ with you.”

He stared at her. She continued. “I trusted you with my life then, and I do now,” she said. Her vision was spinning and her body entirely too warm, but she pressed on anyways. “You are my sworn ally and so much more. You mean things to me that I don’t even understand and possibly never will. If there is something you cannot say to me, so be it, but do not presume I want to keep you at arm’s length. I have allowed you closer than most people have ever been.”

Niles swallowed hard. A thousand emotions warred on his face, all of them thoughts she couldn’t read or comprehend. Finally, he slumped against her. “I don’t know how to handle any of this, Minerva.”

She stared at him, not comprehending. He continued. “My parents abandoned me as a child,” he said. “And later in life, the people I called friends abandoned me and left me to die after breaking in to the castle. That’s when Lord Leo found me and spared my life.”

“That is why you hold such loyalty to him?”  
Niles nodded. “Lord Leo became my new life,” he said. “My chance to put the past behind me. I wanted to start over, but no one else let me forget who I was. The other nobles sneered at me. They looked down their noses and saw nothing but some gutter filth that wound up in the castle by mistake. I thought I could accept it. I thought I could handle knowing that no matter what happened, I would never be worthy of affection -- only scorn.

“But you…” He hesitated, tensing. “You knew. By all the hells, you knew what I was and didn’t care. _You_ asked _me_ for a fuck. I convinced myself that’s all it was. I was just your plaything until it came time to leave. I could live with that. I couldn’t live with _missing_ you _,_ or with _caring_ for you, or feeling like I had been abandoned once again.”

Minerva placed his hands on his shoulders. He relaxed, but only a little. “When Lord Leo said he could open the gates again, I thought I had a chance to put my damned feelings for you to rest,” he said. “Either you would let us keep going, or you would reject me, and I could leave it at that. I didn’t expect to care so much. I didn’t expect to be so desperate to know how you felt about me. When the hell did I become so bloody attached, Minerva?”

“I don’t know, Niles.” Minerva sighed and rested her forehead against his. “I have been asking myself that as well.”

He closed his eye and sighed. “What a mess we’ve gotten ourselves in,” he murmured “Do you suppose we ever had a chance in hell of things staying casual, or were we always doomed to these cursed, confusing feelings?”

“Gods only know.” Minerva closed her eyes. Niles was warm against her, grounding her in a way that little else did. Niles could even cut through the fog of ale that clouded her thoughts. She wondered how badly she would have fared as queen if Niles had not shown up when he did.

She exhaled slowly. “I still want you here with me,” she said. “We will deal with these… feelings… as they come.”

Niles chuckled. “You mean we’ll keep fucking and see how much deeper we dig this hole. There’s no way out for either of us now.”

“Are you complaining?”

“No.” Niles leaned in, voice husky. “Not at all.”

His lips met hers. She held him as they kissed, tasting the ale on his breath and finding that his touch left her far warmer than the ale ever did. His arm snaked around her back, holding her around the waist, and they pressed their bodies against each other. She felt him against her, warm, strong, and perfectly supple under her grip, as he always was. His tongue teased her lips and pushed past them, feeling her out. It was different from the frenzied passion of their nights spent together. They had never shared a kiss that wasn’t rough and desperate. But this… this was nice.

Something panged in Minerva’s chest. She tried to ignore it, but it was soon accompanied by something deep in her gut, something steadily rising…

Oh no.

Oh gods, no.

She pulled away quickly, trying to gasp for air. “Too much ale.”

“What?”

“Too much ale,” she tried again, fighting the wave of dizziness that came over her. “I’m going to vomit.”

Realization dawned in Niles’s eye, and he grabbed her hand. “Not in the street,” he said, pulling her along with him. “Come, this way.”

She followed. They got as far as the nearby stables before she doubled over. Niles at least managed to shove her behind a stack a barrels before she started throwing up. To his credit, he held her hair out of the way as she did.

When it passed and she could straighten again, she was shaking. Niles rubbed her back. “I must be _really_ out of practice, if that’s what my slow kisses do to you.”

She glared. He laughed. “I know, I know. I’d almost forgotten how bad you are at handling your liquor.” He offered her one of his gloves so she could wipe her mouth. She took it. “No offense, princess, but I’m not kissing you again tonight.”

Minerva wiped her mouth and scowled. “Quit your blathering and help me over to the water trough.”

“I don’t feel the need to get dumped in again, thank you.”

She tried to smack his shoulder and missed. Instead she settled for slumping against him. “I’m not going to push you in. I just need to douse my face with cold water.”

“Ah, well in that case…” Niles shrugged and helped her over to the water trough. She promptly dropped to her knees in front of it and dunked her head in. The splash of cold water hit her like a slap to the face, and she came up gasping, but feeling marginally more sober. She dunked her head in again.

When she came up, Niles knelt at her side. “Well that was quite a way to end a romantic moment, wasn’t it?” He nudged her, his lips quirked into a grin. “I hope this doesn’t become a trend. We had something good going there for a second.”

Minerva snorted. “Just a second?”

“Okay, more than a second.” Niles laughed and rubbed her shoulder. When he looked at her, his gaze was softer. “I’m… touched that you feel so strongly about me princess, whatever those feelings may be.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “You’re getting sentimental on me.”

“You seem to have that effect on me these days.” Niles chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face. As he moved aside a strand he paused, frowned, and rubbed it between his fingers. “Your hair is turning red again.”

“What?” Minerva pulled a strand of hair in front of her face to look at it. Sure enough, the black dye was dripping off along with the water. She frowned. “I thought you said this only came off with a _thorough_ washing.”

“It was _supposed_ to.” Niles rolled his eyes. “Thorough washing, my ass. I’m going to have to talk to that merchant. Perhaps I should bring you along. You can truly scare him by threatening to pass some new laws against deceitful business practices.”

“I’m not going to abuse my power like that, Niles.”

“I jest, of course.” Niles took hold of her hand and helped her to her feet. She swayed, but stood with his assistance. “You’re too noble for such things. Leave the nasty and treacherous business to me, princess. I much prefer when you’re forceful in the bedroom than outside of it.”

Minerva laughed again, despite herself. “And I prefer your gentle tongue over your wicked tongue, Niles.”

Niles smirked. “Does this mean you’ll be taking Viktor’s suggestion?” He leaned in, his voice husky. “Can I look forward to a gag in the future?”

“Unfortunately for you… no.” Minerva placed two fingers to his lips and pushed him back. “Wicked your tongue may be, but I would much rather hear your rude words in person than only hear sweet things in my head. I intend to savor your voice for now, no matter how obtrusive or obnoxious.”

Niles kissed her fingers and pulled back, his eye gleaming. “So I can say anything I wish and you won’t object?”

“That’s not--”

“Let’s give it a try, shall we?” Niles grinned, his expression too wicked for Minerva’s liking. “Tonight I want you to tie me to your bed and ride me like I’m a wyvern charging into battle.”

“Niles, that isn’t how--”

“Just really go to town on me, princess.” Niles’s grin grew wider. “Fuck me hard and don’t give me any rest. Bring the whip, too. I deserve it, I’ve been _such_ a naughty boy. I should get at least fifty lashings.”

“ _Niles,_ I’m not going to--”

“But please don’t blindfold me, of course.” Niles tapped his eyepatch, still grinning. “I’ve already lost one eye, so I want to use my remaining eye to drink you in as much as I can while you’re ravishing me, using me to ride yourself to completion, so flushed from exertion, so _desperate_ for my--”

Minerva didn’t let him finish before she shoved him into the water trough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of feelings in this chapter! Also a bit of lore I made up regarding the Hauteclere and Iote's shield. I know it makes sense gameplay-wise for Minerva to start off with the Hauteclere because she gets recruited, but from a story perspective, why is Michalis letting his little sister keep a legendary weapon when he's clearly power-hungry himself?
> 
> I'm probably putting too much thought into a rarepair fic that's mostly focused on getting the two leads to admit their feelings for each other, but oh well. This is what happens when you have to make multiple trips to the fire emblem wiki during writing because you never actually finished Shadow Dragon. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it regardless!


	6. The Nohrian Royals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unexpected guests arrive, and Minerva has to do some hard thinking about her and Niles.

The sun shone high above the Aerie, and for once Minerva was able to enjoy it on wyvernback. The Whitewings flew alongside her, catching the breeze and letting it carry them aloft as they flew over the Aerie’s spires. The sun shone warm on her shoulders, and she smiled as the wind blew threw her hair.

She had not planned on a flight that morning. Her desk loomed tall with paperwork that demanded attention, but Niles had taken note of it. “Ah-ah, no paper pushing for you today,” he said, plucking the quill out of her hand and pulling the sheaf of papers out of her reach. “You’ve worked hard this week, princess. Go take a day off.”

“But--”

“No buts.” Niles pulled her out of her chair. “Go. Ride your wyvern or something. Do whatever it is you do to relax outside of fucking me.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “And who will take care of my work?”  
“Oh, that’s simple. I will.” Niles took hold of her hand, and before she realized it, he had pulled her royal signet ring off her finger and slipped it on his own. Seeing her incredulous look, he shrugged. “Really, Minerva, did you forget that I serve a prince? I know the ins and outs of paperwork. I’ve helped Lord Leo with it on numerous occasions, after all. Your work is safe in my capable hands.”

She sighed, but saw no reason to argue. “If I find any mistakes with your work--”

“Fifty lashings tonight?” She glared at him. He just laughed. “I jest, I jest. I’d much rather spend tonight being ridden senseless anyways. Although, if you happen to have a riding crop on hand…”

“If you do my paperwork well, I may consider it.” Minerva lingered to press a brief kiss to his lips, then pulled away. “Thank you for taking care of this for me, Niles. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, princess.” Niles purred and winked. “Enjoy your day. I’ll be waiting for you tonight.”

Minerva decided to take his advice enjoy her day off as best she could, starting with a leisurely flight around the Aerie. She had been tempted to take her pegasus out for a ride, but ultimately decided that it may be best to see to her wyvern first. Athene was accustomed to its years of retirement, and pegasi were much more laid-back than the fierce and restless wyverns of Macedon. She’d already heard reports of how her wyvern had chewed up its stall.

_Someday, Athene, I will ride you again,_ Minerva thought, glancing down to where the pegasus stables were. _Please wait for me._

Her wyvern tossed its head and angled to go higher. Minerva pulled back on the reins to keep it in check. She had no doubt her wyvern wanted to take off soaring over the forests and mountains, but she lacked the time to indulge a lengthy flight, having promised to spend time with Maria later that afternoon. _Even on my day off, I can’t do as I wish…_

Palla pulled up beside her. “Minerva,” she called, her pegasus keeping pace beside Minerva’s wyvern, “Is everything alright? You seem distracted.”

“Just lost in thought, Palla.” Minerva reined in her wyvern, slowing it to allow for easier conversation between her and Palla. Ahead of them, Catria and Est were chasing each other through the air with loops and spins. Minerva chuckled at the sight.

Palla steered her pegasus closer to Minerva’s side. “You seem much more relaxed lately.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow.  “Do I?”

“Yes.” Palla smiled. “It’s been such a long time since I saw you laugh. Has Niles had anything to do with this?”

“He’s helped, yes.” It had been two weeks since their excursion into town, and ever since, things seemed to have settled down. Some of her anxieties remained, and her advisors and generals still looked at her askance, but she felt calmer than she had in months. The work hadn’t lessened, but it felt easier to handle. And Niles…

She and Niles had settled into something comfortable as well. They hadn’t discussed their feelings for each other ever since that night in town, but they hadn’t felt the need to. They simply stayed the course, taking things as they came and continuing what they had done before, just with more ease and confidence around each other. She knew one day they would have to talk further about their situation. He knew as well. Until then, however, they had decided to ignore that conversation and enjoy the moment.

Thankfully, Palla seemed satisfied enough with her answer that she didn’t press for details. “I’m glad he’s been of help to you,” she said. “Seems like your decision to let him stay was a wise one.”

“It would seem so, wouldn’t it?” They passed by the westward face of the Aerie, and Minerva’s gaze flicked over towards Michalis’s window. She could not see beyond it, but she wondered if he was watching. Her stomach twisted. Michalis was still a source of anxiety, right after her advisors and generals. There was the looming threat that he would escape, or that the generals would overthrow her in an attempt to get Michalis on the throne, eager to resume the warlike ways Michalis had espoused.

More than that, though, were Minerva’s lingering insecurities. Their most recent meeting still weighed on her mind. Some part of her wanted to storm back into Michalis’s room and tell him he was wrong. She wanted to tell him that his subjects hated him, and that she refused to be intimidated by him. Confronting him was the final step in finally freeing herself from his shadow after so many years. She would not let him cow her or walk over her. Instead she would rise up and show him the fury of a true Macedonian queen.

But not yet. She could not bring herself to do it yet.

She spurred her wyvern forward, putting Michalis’s window behind her so that she did not have to think of it. That was an issue to resolve another day.

Palla remained at her side. “How long is Niles staying with us?” She asked.

Minerva blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“He was only staying here temporarily, right?” Palla cocked her head to the side. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s sworn to the service of Prince Leo. Will he be rejoining Prince Leo when he next shows up?”

Minerva had not given much thought to that. She had done her best to ignore how Niles’s visit was only meant to be temporary. The thought of him leaving, _again,_ was a like an arrow through her heart. “I do not know.”

Her emotions must have shown on her face, because Palla winced. “I’m sorry, Minerva. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

“It’s fine, Palla.” It wasn’t fine. Minerva and Niles had just accepted that there was something more to their relationship. They couldn’t lose what bond they had, not again. The mere thought scared her, but she dared not show that to Palla. “We haven’t discussed it yet. I’ll talk it over with him tonight.”

“Of course,” said Palla. “As you wish.”

They lapsed into silence. Minerva tried to banish the thought of Niles leaving from her mind. It was irrelevant anyways, since Leo had yet to return. She and Niles had time to sort out what they were going to do when Leo did visit again. When that happened… well, if Niles wished to return, she would let him. It wasn’t her place to demand that he stay, even if she hoped he would.

She glanced up at Catria and Est. They still soared above them in a game of tag. The sight brought a small smile to her face. She was tempted to go join them, lose herself in small amusements and forget her worries. Before she could lift the reins,however, she saw both Catria and Est freeze. They wheeled their pegasi around to look at something in the distance, and Catria reached for her lance.

Minerva followed their gaze. Something was barreling towards them, a figure with black, leathery wings beating against the breeze. She stiffened. Her hand was on the Hauteclere’s shaft when the figure came clearly into view, and there was no mistaking that long, purple hair.

“Hello there, Queen Minerva!” Camilla reined her wyvern to a stop in front of her, smiling her usual sultry smile. “I had a feeling that was you I saw flying around. I do hope you don’t mind my barging in like this, but I simply _had_ to say hello when I saw you. It’s been far too long”

“Princess Camilla.” Minerva loosened her grip on the Hauteclere. “This is a surprise.”

Camilla tossed her hair and smiled. “Sorry for not giving you any warning, dear,” she said. “Little Leo still hasn’t figure out how to send more than just people through those gates, or else we would have sent a message to you somehow. You can take that up with him when he drops by later.”

Minerva’s chest tightened. “So he’s on his way?”

“Yes, he and the rest of my dear siblings.” Camilla didn’t notice how Minerva had tensed. Instead she was busy looking at Palla and her sisters. Catria and Est dropped down to Minerva’s side and were watching Camilla warily. “And who are these darlings?”

“These are my Whitewings, the elite pegasus knights that serve under my command.” Minerva gestured to each of them in turn. “Palla, Catria, and Est. Whitewings, this is Princess Camilla of Nohr, older sister to Prince Leo.”

Palla bowed. Catria and Est followed suit, although not without some questioning looks to Camilla’s choice of armor. “A pleasure, your highness.”

“The pleasure is all mine, dears.” Camilla looked over each of them fondly, smiled, and turned her attention back to Minerva. “Might I join you for your flight? It’s going to be a little more time before my siblings show up, and it has been far too long since I got to pit my skills against a wyvern rider with expertise like yours.”

“Your compliment is appreciated, but I’m afraid we’ll have to save that for a later date,” Minerva said, placing the Hauteclere back at her side so she could hold her reins with both hands. “If your siblings are paying a royal visit, King Xander included, then I am duty-bound to greet them when they arrive. I would be a poor host if I did not have arrangements prepared for them.”

“Awww, such a shame…” Camilla pouted. “Some other time, then.”

“Yes. Some other time.” Minerva steered her wyvern downwards towards the Aerie, signalling the Whitewings as she dove. She tried to ignore the tightening in her chest. _Business. Focus on business._

She landed her wyvern and dismounted, leaving the squires to rush and take care of her mount as she strode towards the entrance to the Aerie. Behind her she heard the Whitewings and Camilla landing as well. She wondered if Niles had been able to glance out the window and see Camilla as she flew. They had passed by the window to her room, and her desk was within sight of it…

No, she couldn’t think of Niles. Not now. She banished the thought and signalled for the nearest servant. “We have unexpected guests of royal stature. I want the finest rooms in the Aerie prepared for them, and extra places set out at dinner tonight. Ensure that the council rooms are in order for a meeting as well.”

The servant bowed and hurried off. Minerva  was so focused on trying to relax that she just barely heard Camilla come up from behind her. “My my,” Camilla said. “You seem to have taken well to queenhood, Minerva.”

Her words were a surprise, but Minerva did not let her see that. “You truly believe so?”  
“Oh yes, such confidence in your commands.” Camilla laughed and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “No doubt you run a tight ship around here.”

Minerva paused. It hadn’t occurred to her, but she had felt a little more at ease around her servants and courtiers as of late. Knowing that her subjects in town supported had relieved some of her worries. She longer felt the constant pressure to perform, nor was she dogged by the need to overcorrect herself. Her actions had gained confidence, little by little.

“I thank you for your kind words,” she said to Camilla. “I am doing my utmost to live up to the expectations of my station.”

“Oh, listen to yourself. You sound just like Xander.” Camilla sighed dramatically. “The two of your are going to be nothing but business when he comes. It’ll be so boring.”

Minerva restrained herself from snorting. “If you seek amusement, Niles is still here in the Aerie.”

“No thank you, Minerva. He and I don’t see eye-to-eye. But…” Camilla leaned in, eyes glinting with questions. “I was surprised to hear that apparently you _do_ see eye-to-eye with him, at least enough to tolerate him staying for a whole month. Quite frankly, I’m shocked he’d spend so much time away from Leo. You haven’t done anything wicked to him, have you?”

_If you asked him, he’d say I do wicked things every night,_ Minerva thought, before she could stop herself. Perhaps Niles’s lewd nature was starting to rub off on her. She gathered herself and chose her words carefully. “His decision to stay was a surprise to me as well, but he has made himself useful.”

“Has he, now…” Camilla studied her carefully. “I’m still surprised that you allowed it. Might I ask why?”  
“Because I have such a winning personality, isn’t it obvious?” Niles saved Minerva from answering with his arrival, descending the staircase at the end of the hall and sending a wink their way. Minerva was unsure if the wink was directed at her or Camilla. She had a sneaking suspicion it was for her. “It’s unbecoming of a princess to be nosy, Lady Camilly.”

“Nosy? Me? Why, never.” Camilla smiled, but something about it was overly sweet. Her eyes held a dangerous gleam. “I’m just making sure you’re not skipping out on your duties to my dear brother.”

Niles’s smile was just as dangerous. “Perhaps you should have taken that up with me or Leo, then.”

“Oh, I asked Leo. All he said was that you wanted to reconnect with an old friend, and he needed someone to stay here and gather information for him.” Camilla placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. “But that’s not all it can be, can it?”

“I’m hurt by your suspicion, your highness.” Niles placed a hand over his heart and gave her his most indignant look. “And it’s most impolite to bring these things up in front of Queen Minerva.”

“Oh I know. It’s just that it’s hard not to question such things…” Camilla’s eyes strayed down, towards Niles’s right hand. “Especially since you seem to have gained a new ring on your finger, Niles.”

Minerva realized with a sudden chill that Niles was still wearing her royal signet ring. He seemed to remember it as well, looking alarmed, but only for a second. “Oh, this thing?” He held up his hand, the ring glinting on his finger. “Minerva only entrusted it to me for the day. I was assisting her with paperwork and needed to stamp out her official seals.”

“Yes. As I said, he’s proven useful.” Minerva held her hand out to Niles. “I would like that back now, however.”

“Of course.” Niles slipped it off his finger and dropped it into her palm. Minerva took it and slipped it back onto her own finger. It was still warm from where it had touched Niles’s skin. She tried not to think about that.

Camilla was watching them, her expression strange. “Helping with paperwork, hmmm? It must have been important paperwork to need an official seal. You put quite a bit of trust in Niles there.”

“You wouldn’t be _doubting_ Queen Minerva’s judgement, would you?” Niles frowned at Camilla. “That’s quite rude of you, and even if it wasn’t, this really isn’t the time for such things.”

“Indeed.” Minerva’s voice was curt. “We have hardly had time for the necessary formalities, and I still have to greet your siblings when they arrive. You and Niles may resume this conversation later, on your own time.”

Camilla shrugged. “If you insist…”

“I do. Now, Niles--” Minerva turned to him as he approached. “I didn’t expect to see you until tonight. Did you catch word of Princess Camilla’s arrival?”

“Saw her out the window, your majesty.” Niles’s use of her formal address felt stilted, and Minerva realized it was the first time he’d needed to call her that in weeks. Luckily, he glossed over it soon after. “I take it that the rest of the Nohrian royals will he be here as well?”

Minerva nodded. “According to Princess Camilla, yes.”

“Ah, splendid. A true family reunion.” Niles glanced at Camilla. “Did she also say if their bevy of retainers is included in that little party?”

Camilla shook her head. “Not all of them, poor Leo couldn’t take more than five of us through the portal,” she said. “He’s still working out the problems with his magic, so he only brought Odin for help with making the gates.”

“Good, I have some catching up to do with him as well.” Niles chuckled. “Provided that Queen Minerva doesn’t want me elsewhere.”

“It would hardly be my place to send you away when your leige lord is due to arrive,” Minerva said. “You may see him and Odin at your leisure. However, I _was_ just heading to the throne room so that I may be prepared to greet them, if you’d care to accompany me.”

Niles bowed. “It would be my pleasure, your majesty.”

 

* * *

 

After ensuring that preparations were in order, Minerva tossed on what little royal regalia she could and went to wait in the throne room. Her posture was firm and confident, befitting a regal monarch, but inwardly she was tense. Even with Niles’s presence at her back and Maria’s at her side, she could only focus on the door to the hall.

The doors opened. Xander strode in, tall and regal in the ornate armor of a Nohrian King. He approached the throne and bowed. “Queen Minerva.”

Minerva bowed in return. “King Xander.”

Xander straightened. “I beg you forgive us for our unexpected visit,” he said. “I know it’s customary to announce such things, but our attempts to send messages through the gates remains unreliable at best.”

“It is understandable, King Xander.” Minerva stepped down from the dais, standing on a more level field with Xander. “Advance notice would have been preferable, but I am still grateful for your visit. It proves your willingness to forge ties to Macedon so that we may help each other prosper.”

“Indeed.” Xander held out his hand. Minerva reached out and clasped it. “I thank you for allowing us to come and discuss such things.”

“But of course.” Minerva glanced over Xander’s shoulder and saw Leo and Elise enter, with Odin not far behind. Minerva nodded to each of them in turn. “And it is a pleasure to see your family again,” she said, before she stepped back and gestured to her own entourage. “Allow me to introduce you to my Whitewings, Palla, Catria, and Est. They are the elite pegasus knights who serve under as my guard.”

The three sisters bowed. Minerva gestured to her side, where Maria stood. “And this is my sister, Princess Maria.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.” Maria smiled bright and dipped into a curtsy. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Elise giggled. “Good things, right?”

“Yes.” Maria’s eyes sparkled. “You’re Princess Elise, right? Minerva said you can do incredible things with a staff. I would love to see it.”

“Sure!” Elise beamed. “But only if you show me what you can do with a staff too. I’ve heard from Minerva that you’re a really talented cleric!”

Maria blushed and giggled. Minerva looked on with a fond smile. “If you would like, the two of you may be excused to get to know each other better while I discuss business with King Xander,” she said. “Provided you don’t get into trouble, of course.”

“We won’t!” Maria and Elise chimed in unison.

Minerva chuckled “Then you may go.”

They scurried off together. Minerva watched them go, still smiling, before she turned back to Xander. “Shall we move this to a council room for further discussion?”

“Indeed, I think we shall.” Xander nodded. “Is the two of us alone acceptable, your majesty?”

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. “It is acceptable,” she said. “It will give Niles the time he needs to reconnect with Prince Leo and inform him of all that has happened, and allow us to focus on our business without distractions.”

Her gaze flickered to Niles. He met her eye, and she hoped he read the silent request in them, the wordless hope that he would not be returning to Leo’s service so soon. She could not tell if he comprehended it or not. His face was an unreadable mask.

Camilla broke the tension with a sigh. “I suppose I’ll need to entertain myself then, if you two are going to be so very serious.”

Minerva cleared her throat. “If you wish, Palla and her sisters can show you around the Aerie.”

“What a lovely idea.” Camilla smiled and turned to the Whitewings. “You’ll take good care of me, won’t you?”

“Of course.” Palla hid it well, but Minerva could see the way she tensed, intimidated by Camilla’s smile. Her sisters hid it less well. “Please, come with us.”

They departed. Leo left with Niles and Odin soon after. Minerva did not miss that Niles cast a glance over his shoulder at here as he went out. Soon it was just her and Xander, standing alone in the throne room, the silence heavy between them.

She turned to him. “Now then,” she said. “Let’s be off. I imagine we have a lot to discuss.”

 

* * *

  

Minerva took Xander to one of the smaller meeting rooms for their talk, tucked away in a corner of the castle with no windows for prying eyes to peer through. A servant brought them a pitcher of wine and two goblets, and once they were gone, Minerva spoke. “Is there any particular reason why you felt that this conversation needed to be private?” She asked, her eyes on Xander as she poured herself a goblet of wine.

“A few.” Xander leaned forward and frowned. “First off, I wanted to ask about Niles.”

To Minerva’s credit, she kept her composure. It was easy enough to slip into her stone-faced mask. “And what did you want to ask about Niles?”

“Is it true that the two of you are sleeping together?”

Minerva sighed. “Leo told you.”

“He did.” Xander’s frown deepened. “So it’s true.”

“It is.”

“Hmmm.” Xander’s brow furrowed. “You’ll have to forgive my forwardness with the questioning. Niles is a subject of Nohr and a retainer to my brother, so it’s in my best interests to ensure that he is not doing anything that would... endanger a potential ally kingdom. He hasn’t been making trouble, has he?”

Minerva shook her head. “The most damage he can do is with his tongue,” she said. “He remains insufferable in that regard, but he’s proven himself useful. He’s…”

She trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. How could she explain to Xander just how much Niles had helped put her mind at ease? Niles was her ally and confidant, and so much more she couldn’t put words to. How could she explain something she didn’t even understand?

She took a breath and spoke. “He helps me relax.”

Xander raised an eyebrow. “Usually he has the opposite effect on people.”

“Usually, yes.” Minerva poured a goblet for Xander and handed it to him. “But his honesty is refreshing. I spend my days surrounded by courtiers and generals who whisper behind my back and compare me to my brother. Niles’s lack of regard for my station is a benefit in our conversations. We are able to speak freely with each other.”

“Ah.” Xander’s expression cleared. “I see. That’s something I can understand very well.”

Minerva glanced at him. When she saw the fond, distant look in his eyes, she took a gamble. “Are you referring to your relationship with Ryoma?”

Xander twitched. “You are aware of that.”

“Just as you were aware of my relationship with Niles.” Minerva raised an eyebrow. “If you can be forthright in asking about clandestine affairs, then I can as well.”

“You raise a fair point.” Xander sighed. “Very well. You’re correct, I was referring to my relationship with Ryoma. We are equals in regards to our stations, and we forged a strong bond of trust on the battlefield as well, so there is no need to hide our true thoughts around each other. It is… a relief.”

His shoulders, held stiff and straight, relaxed as he spoke of Ryoma. Minerva caught a glimpse of longing in his gaze. “Might I ask when the two of you began your relationship?”

Xander chuckled. “In Aytolis, actually.”

“Really? I did not pick up on it.”

“No one did. We kept it as secret as we could.” Xander leaned back, relaxing further in his chair. He picked up his goblet of wine and sipped it before continuing. “Originally, the two of us sought each other’s company for political reasons, to discuss our situations and decide the best way to ally our two kingdoms. I believe Ryoma also took it as a distraction from how much he was pining for you.”

Minerva bit back a snort. “I knew he fancied me, but pining for me?”  
“If there’s anything I have learned about Ryoma, he can be a overly romantic fool when he wishes to be.” Xander rolled his eyes, but spoke with fondness. “I resolved to take his mind off of you, and focused my efforts on distracting him with the affairs of our kingdoms. I did not expect to distract him so well that his affections shifted to me instead. He took me by surprise when he confessed that he had fallen for me.”

Minerva laughed. “And yet it seems to have worked out well for you.”

“As well as it could, considering we still have to keep our relationship secret from all but our families.” Xander sighed at that. “And what of you? How public is your relationship with Niles?”

Minerva did not answer at first, sipping from her goblet. “Maria knows,” she said. “As do my Whitewings. No one else at the Aerie is aware aside from them.”

“And Leo, Odin, and I are the only others who know?”

“Yes, although I believe that after today, Camilla strongly suspects it.” Minerva sighed. She did not want to think about that. She simply hoped that Camilla had the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut.

Xander frowned. “You have no one else you can trust with this knowledge?”

“As I said, my courtiers and generals whisper behind my back.” Minerva’s smile was bitter. “The whispers have started to die, but many of them still wish my brother Michalis was on the throne. He may have plunged our country into war and invited Dolhr’s occupation, but he possessed an innate charisma and confidence that I lack. It does not help matters that Michalis lives.”

“He lives?”

Minerva nodded. “In one of the towers of the Aerie,” she said. “I have him locked away as a prisoner. Tyrant or not, I could not in good conscience kill my brother, especially not when Maria begged for me to spare him. He instead lives as a prisoner under my watch.”

“I see…” Xander’s frown deepened. “Have you spoken to him since his imprisonment?”

“Once.” The word felt sour in her mouth. “It went... poorly. He does not believe in my ability to rule.”

“Ah.” Xander nodded. “His shadow looms long over you still.”

The words stung. Minerva swallowed. “It does.”

Xander sighed. “I can relate.”

“You can?”  
“Indeed.” Xander looked down at his hands. “How much has Niles told you of what happened when we returned from Aytolis?”

“I have heard… most of it.” Minerva recalled the bits and pieces Niles had told her during pillow talk, murmuring the stories to her until he drifted off. It was a haphazard, piecemeal way to gather the information, but it had woven a distinct enough picture for Minerva to get the gist. “I understand that Anankos of Valla was responsible for much of the conflict between your nations, and your two armies banded together and slew him.”

Xander’s face was weary. “Did he also tell you of what became of my father, King Garon?”

“I am aware that he was under the control of Anankos, and had most likely died years prior,” Minerva said. “I was not informed of what became of him after the fall of Anankos. I assumed that once the mad god was defeated, King Garon would cease to be.”

“Would only that were true…” Xander sighed and slumped forward in his seat. “No, that is not what happend. When we cornered Anankos he summoned my father before him. He then devoured him in order to regain the power he had used to puppeteer him. I watched as what little remained of my father was destroyed.”

Minerva’s blood ran cold. “Gods…”

“Indeed.” Xander closed his eyes. “As a child, I had idolized my father. Even when he mysteriously turned cold and cruel, I held my tongue and did whatever was asked of me. My doubts mounted, but I continued to prepare myself for the throne, doing my best to make things better from the inside. Even knowing that he had been consumed, possessed… in some part of me, I thought it possible to save him and regain the father I had adored. That chance was destroyed before my very eyes.”

He sighed, long and heavy. “In a way, I envy you,” he said. “You brother is still alive. You still have the chance, however slim, to return to how things once were.” Minerva opened her mouth to respond, but he held up a hand and continued. “I know it may seem like an impossibility, and you may still harbor resentment for what he has done. I still have not put my resentment towards my late father to rest, not with how many in Nohr still adhere to the ethos of cruelty he held while under Anankos’s control. Whenever I must deal with the remnants of that ethos, I find myself glad that my father is dead. Still, there is a part of me that yearns for what once was.”

“King Xander…” Minerva bit her lip to keep her words from spilling out to quickly. It was not until her thoughts settled that she allowed herself to speak. “I know what you mean. Michalis did many cruel, heartless things when he was on the throne, but even now I remember how I had adored him as a child. He was my mentor and protector, and everything I aspired to be. When he murdered our father it felt like he murdered the Michalis I had known and loved. Maria…”

She looked away. “Maria still believes that things can go back to the way they once were,” she said. “It is why she begged for me to spare his life, even after all Michalis did to her.”

“Your sister is kindhearted.” Xander’s eyes were gentle, his words soft. “I had forgotten what a virtue it is to be so gentle and forgiving. It was not until Corrin brought our families together that I realized what a blessing her compassionate nature truly was. I have done my best to bring that compassion to the people of Nohr -- and if you’ll allow me to be so bold, I believe that may be what you need to do for Macedon.”

Minerva smiled despite herself. “Niles said the same thing.”

“Niles did? Will wonders never cease.” Xander shook his head, but he was smiling. “We walk difficult roads, Queen Minerva. Both of us stand under the long shadows of our predecessors. Perhaps there will always be those in your court who believe in Michalis’s ideals above yours, but you must not lose faith. There are many around you that you can trust and rely on.  You must value them.”

“I know.” Minerva thought of Marth and Caeda in Altea, and how they had pressed on towards freedom and justice even as their hearts broke with every soldier they lost. They gave their aid to Macedon despite the injustice Michalis had wrought upon them. She thought of the Whitewings, boldly breaking ranks to fly across the battlefield and join her with the Altean rebels, risking their lives to stand against their country alongside her. She thought of Maria, sweet and tender Maria, who had always looked forward to her visits while she was a prisoner. She remained cheerful and smiling even as a hostage so that Minerva wouldn’t worry, and no matter what she pressed Minerva into doing what was kind and just.

And she thought of Niles.

Niles, who had been a steadfast companion in Aytolis, standing at her side in battle after battle. Night after night they stole away for what they convinced themselves was just a harmless way to relax, until they had to part and realized all too soon that it had been more than that. When he had sought her out once he was in the Aerie, wanting to resume the relationship they had fostered while away from their worlds, he had wanted it so badly that he would leave his own Lord’s side to spend a month at hers. He stood at her side once again, reassuring her, comforting her, showing her how her subjects really felt -- showing her how _he_ really felt.

She realized, with sudden clarity, that she could not bear to lose that. She couldn’t lose it to another world, and she couldn’t lose it to the threat her own insecurities caused. Her weakness on the throne was a liability, and Miichalis’s lack of faith in her was a liability.

She would have to take a gamble and address all both at once.

“King Xander… thank you.” Minerva bowed her head to Xander. “Your words have been what I needed to hear. The path before me is much clearer now.”

“I am honored to hear that, Queen Minerva.” Xander’s smile was warm and gentle. “You are a valued ally and friend. If there is anything else I can do for you, as a show of faith between our kingdoms, you need only ask.”

Minerva paused, an idea coming to her. “Actually,” she said. “There is one thing…”

 

* * *

 

It was several hours before Minerva and Xander wrapped up their negotiations. A draft treaty was drawn up and copies made for both kingdoms to examine and amend on their own time, with the promise to discuss it at a later negotiation. Their business done, Minerva and Xander said their farewells and parted ways for the night.

Niles was waiting for Minerva when she arrived in her chambers. Something in her chest relaxed when she saw him. She hadn’t even realized  she was tense. “I was half-worried you wouldn’t be here yet,” she said, draping her cape over the chair and putting her crown aside. “Did you and Leo finish discussing things?”

“We did.” Niles was oddly subdued, sitting on the bed with his expression unreadable. She had expected a purred greeting and a prompt innuendo. Instead, his voice was quiet. “Did you and Xander finish your business?”  
“For now.” Minerva moved to sit at Niles’s side. Slowly, Niles wrapped his arm around her waist. She did the same for him. “You don’t seem yourself tonight, Niles.”

Niles chuckled, but it sounded hollow. “The conversation I had with Lord Leo was not the conversation I expected to have.”

Fear gripped Minerva’s heart. “You’re leaving.”

Niles was silent. The fear mounted and turned into terror. Minerva fought to keep it under control, straining with the effort, until finally Niles spoke. “I’m staying.”

It felt like the wind had been knocked from her lungs. Minerva struggled to take a breath. “What?”

“I’m staying, Minerva.” Niles paused, and she saw a thousand emotions go to war on his face. “I thought about it for a long time. Staying here with you felt like a betrayal to Lord Leo I felt like like after all he’d done for me, after all I’d _sworn_ to him, I would be turning my back on him. The thought made me… sick. But then I…”

He exhaled and looked away. “Then I thought about what would happen if I left,” he said. “And I _was_ sick.”

“You… _were_ sick?”

Niles’s smile was bitter. “I \ literally threw up from the anxiety, Minerva. A shame, too.That was a good lunch I wasted.”

Minerva had no words. On the one hand, the thought of Niles staying hit her with a flood of sudden, blessed relief. On the other hand, he looked so miserable about it that her relief soured with guilt. She struggled to find the right words to speak to him. “Forgive me, Niles. I never meant to cause you such duress.”

“And I never meant to get so damn attached to you, but here we are.” Niles sighed and slumped against Minerva. “I’m… blessed that Lord Leo understood. I was terrified he’d take it as a betrayal, but he accepted it. He even offered to formally release me from my oath of servitude. It was the best outcome I could have hoped for, but I still feel like a traitor for it.”

“Niles…” Minerva frowned, unsure of what to say or do. The only comforting response she could think of was to stroke her hand gently up and down his back. It seemed to help him relax, as he slumped further against Minerva and sighed. Neither of them said anything.

Niles broke the silence first. “Are you happy?”

“What?”

“Are you happy?” Niles repeated. “Do you _want_ me to stay?”

“Of course I want you to stay. I--” Minerva struggled to find the words. “I was… also terrified, today. I was terrified that I would lose you again. The choice was ultimately yours, and I could never have forced you to stay… and yet, I could not abide the thought of you leaving.”

She stroked his back. He was silent. “I am honored by your decision to stay,” she continued. “But it is difficult for me to celebrate when you seem so miserable about the choice. I am at a loss for what to do, Niles. I have no skill at offering comfort. I apologize.”

Niles reached up and placed his hand over hers. “Let me take a cue from Maria and say ‘no apologizing,’” he murmured, allowing himself a faint smile. “Hearing that you want me is enough.”

“And I do want you.” Minerva turned  her hand over so she could grab Niles’s hand and squeeze it. “I have never wanted anyone more than I want you, Niles. You have been a source of constant support and comfort for me. I only wish I could be the same for you.”

“Shush, you _are._ ” Niles turned his gaze to meet hers, his one good eye bright with emotion. “You accept me as I am, Minerva. Just _existing_ at your side is enough to help this old scoundrel feel like he belongs somewhere instead of nowhere. It was the same with Lord Leo, but here… I can’t put words to it, but when I’m with you, it’s like it’s where I’m… where I’m _meant_ to be.”

They paused, staring at each other. Niles groaned and buried his face in her shoulder. “That was the most ridiculous thing I have ever said with complete sincerity. What the hell has become of me?”

“I could ask the same thing.” Minerva’s smile was dry. “I don’t mind it, but I think this is the rare case where I would much prefer your wicked tongue to your gentle one.”

“Oh my, really?” Niles laughed. “You’d be the first to ever say such a thing.”

“What an honor.”

“Hah! Sarcastic Minerva makes her grand re-appearance.” Niles laughed again, louder this time. “Easily my third-favorite Minerva, right after Aggressively-Aroused Minerva and Laughing Minerva.”

Minerva laughed. Niles grinned. “See? Exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Hush.” Minerva tweaked his ear. “You seem to be doing better, at least. It’s okay if you still need time to process your decision. I will gladly give it to you.”

Niles shook his head. “Not tonight.” He pressed closer to Minerva, his hands finding purchase in the front of her shirt. “The wound’s too fresh tonight, Minerva. I’ll deal with it later, when it’s not so… overwhelming. Right now, I need you to distract me.”

“How demanding of you.” Despite her dry words, Minerva readily pulled Niles closer to her. Her fingers dipped underneath the hem of his collar and stroked the skin. “But, you have more than earned it. Tell me what you desire, Niles.”

Niles shivered when he felt Minerva’s fingers on his skin. “You, Minerva,” he breathed. “Whatever you want to do to me. Whatever terrible, _filthy_ thing you want to do to me.”

Minerva shook her head. “I will not impose my own desires on you tonight, Niles.” She slipped her hands further into his clothing, stroking his bare skin wherever she found it. “Today has been a trying day for you. You deserve to be the one who chooses what happens tonight.”

“I…” Niles’s eye widened. “I… anything?”

“Within reason.” Minerva hoped she had not set herself up for something she could not handle. She was no stranger to some of the more outlandish sex acts out there, but Niles was far more experienced than she was, and she had no idea what kinks remained up his sleeve. She could only imagine what sort of depraved, terrifying sex acts he got off on.

“I want you to suck me off.”

Minerva blinked. “...That’s it?”

“What on earth were you expecting?” Niles raised an eyebrow. “Did you think I would ask for something truly filthy and nasty? I know how vanilla you are, Minerva, and I’m not _that_ cruel.”

Minerva ignored the comment about her being vanilla, not entirely sure what it meant. “Still, you simply want… fellatio?” Her brow furrowed. “Are you sure?”

“Well, you’ve never given it to me before.” Niles licked his lips, his cheeks already flushed with arousal. “And I won’t deny that I’ve fantasized about it. I want to know how it feels, Minerva. I want to see your face between my legs and feel your mouth on me, I want to see how deep you can take me and feel how many creative things you can do with your tongue…”

He shivered and pressed closer against her. “Please,” he whispered. “Indulge me.”

Minerva swallowed. “I have never performed done this. I don’t know if I will be any good at it.”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s you.” Niles’s eye was half-lidded, already burning with arousal. “Please, Minerva. Show me how it feels.”

“Very well…” Minerva trailed her hand down Niles’s chest, pushing open his shirt as she did so. Her fingers splayed over his toned muscles and enjoyed how firm they felt under her touch. “If that is what you desire, then I will keep my promise.”

Niles shivered, his body turning limp and pliable under her touch. “Thank you.”

Minerva pushed him down to the bed. He went willingly, splayed out on the sheets with his snow-white hair fanning all around his head. She tugged loose the buttons on his shirt and let his chest come into view. The muscles tensed and flexed under her touch, showing off the bevy of pale scars on his tanned skin. She traced the longest and most prominent ones and watched him shudder. With every touch, his legs splayed a little wider.

She moved down his body, dealing with his clothes as she went. His gloves and shirt were easily tossed aside. When she reached his belt, she paused, placing a hand over his groin to see how strong his arousal was. Niles groaned long and loud as he arched into the touch. She could easily feel his heat and hardness through the fabric of his pants.

It was a familiar sight, having Niles under her, ready and willing for her to take control. But this time, it felt different. Minerva found she lacked the desire to dominate Niles that night. Her pleasure was secondary to what Niles wanted. She had no doubt Niles would see to it that her arousal was sated as well, but it was not what mattered at the moment.

She leaned down, brushing her lips over his neck. His breathing was already ragged with lust. “Minerva,” he breathed, tilting his neck to give her more access. “Mark me.”

Her teeth scraped his neck, but just barely. “You are certain?” She murmured.

“Yes.” Niles chuckled, the sound breathless and raspy. “Let everyone see.”

Weeks ago, she would have balked at the suggestion. Now, however, the need for privacy felt like a foolish thing. Niles was staying. People were bound to find out sooner or later. Worrying about it further was a waste of time.

She bit down. Niles moaned and grabbed at her, holding her close. Each scrape of her teeth brought soft gasps past his lips, and when she sucked on his neck he groaned, arched, and tipped his head further back. She wasted no time with gentleness, preferring to bite and lick and mark up his neck as she pleased. When she pulled away, there was a red streak from his collarbone to his jaw.

Niles gazed up at her, eyes cloudy with lust. “More.”

Minerva snorted. “So demanding,” she murmured. Her hands moved to undo the fastenings on her overcoat, and after she slid it off her shoulders she tugged at her undershirt next. “I thought you wanted my mouth on your erection, not your neck.”

“I want it everywhere.” Niles licked his lips. “Wherever you can put it, Minerva. Whatever cruel, filthy place you can think to put it.”

“Is that so…” Minerva allowed herself a smirk and leaned down. “Then allow me to place it on the filthiest thing I can think off…”

She claimed his lips in a rough kiss. Niles was quick to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her close, and she took hold of his chin to angle him the way she wanted. Their lips parted, tongues meeting, Minerva pushing deep into  his mouth and Niles allowing every single thing she did. Even with his mouth occupied, he still moaned. She tugged at his lower lip with her teeth, and his hands tightened on her shoulders, finding a firmer grip. His fingers found the hem of her undershirt and tugged.

Minerva got the message. She broke the kiss and pulled back, shedding her undershirt so that she was topless. Niles stared at her bared body, his eye burning with hunger. “You get sexier every time you do that.”

“I’m not even fully naked.” Minerva shifted back, straddling Niles’s hips so she could roll her hips against his erection. He moaned and pressed his hips upwards against her. From what she felt pressing against her, he was already almost at his full hardness. She groaned and rolled her hips into it again. “Come to think, neither are you… perhaps it’s about time that both of us fixed that.”

Niles laughed, breathless and ragged. “As much as I love where you are right now, I can’t get my pants off with you sitting on them.”

“And who said you would be taking them off yourself?” Minerva moved aside, and reached for his belt. He was perfectly compliant as she stripped him, lifting his hips so she could easier remove his clothes and toss them aside. She tried not to rush, but it was no long before he lay fully naked on the bed, his skin flushed and hot to the touch, and his cock tall and throbbing between his legs.

She eyed his erection as she removed her own clothes, debating the best way to put her mouth on it. From what she knew of oral sex, it was customary to swallow the entire thing, but with her lack of experience she doubted she could fit the entire thing in her mouth. Maybe half of it at best.

When she had stripped fully, she positioned herself between Niles’s legs. She stroked a hand up the length of his shaft and watched as he hissed through his teeth. “Advise me, Niles. How do I best go about this?”

“Ah, so I’m your teacher now?” Niles chuckled. “You don’t want to just go for it, princess?”

Minerva shook her head. “Tonight is about you, Niles.” She leaned down, positioning her head above his erection so she could glance at him through her eyelashes. Her hand wrapped loosely around the base of his shaft. “I am prioritizing your pleasure. You are free to tell me exactly how you want this done.”

Niles exhaled a shaky breath. “Gods,” he murmured. “You have no idea how sexy you look right now.”

Minerva smiled. “Then clearly I am doing something right.”

“I’ll say…” Niles closed his eye, breathed deep, and then opened it again. “As flattered as I am by your concern, it’s no fun if both of us aren’t enjoying ourselves. I’ll tell you exactly how I want my cock touched, but you’ll have to touch yourself as you do it.”

“If that is what you wish, Niles.” Minerva’s other hand slipped down her body, coming to rest between her legs. She felt heat there as well. A faint blush rose to her cheeks when she realized that she was more aroused by this scenario that she expected to be. “Now please… tell me what I can do for you.”

Niles nodded, his eye focused on Minerva with such intensity that it made her shiver. “Lick it.”

Minerva leaned down, hesitated, then cautiously dragged her tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip. Niles moaned loud and she took it as encouragement. She did it again, slower, and then faster. On a hunch she stroked her hand up and down the base of his shaft and focused her tongue on the tip. Niles moaned even louder.

Confident that she was doing well, Minerva dipped her hand deeper between her legs and started stroking herself. Her tongue continued to work as she did so, licking up and down Niles’s shaft and experimenting to see what places got the most reaction from him. He seemed to like it most on the underside of the shaft and right around the head.

She shifted, pressing her fingers harder against herself as she continued her stroking. Her chest was growing tight from arousal. She wanted nothing more than to lower herself onto him and ride him to exhaustion, but she focused on licking and stroking him instead, focusing on his pleasure. She had prioritized her pleasure for too long. It was his turn now.

When she paused to glance up at Niles, the pure lust burning in his gaze made her shiver and stroke herself faster. His face was flushed, hands gripping tightly to the sheets, and lips parted as he breathed deep and ragged. He licked his lips and spoke, the words strained. “Now take it in your mouth.”

She obeyed. The head was easy enough to take in, but a few inches past that, her throat tightened. She frowned and tried to relax her jaw, determined that she could take more than that. She struggled down another inch.

“Hey now, don’t hurt yourself.”  Niles’s fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her upwards, liftinh her a couple inches up his shaft. “If you’re that set on going all the way, we can practice that some other time. Deep throating is no business for beginners.”

Minerva grumbled as best she could with her mouth full. Niles laughed. “You either go hard or go home, don’t you?” He murmured, stroking her hair. “Not that I don’t mind being treated roughly, princess, but one of these days I’m going to have to show you the benefits of slow and gentle sex.”

She couldn’t respond with a sharp retort, so she settled for sucking on him instead. He moaned and tightened his fingers in her hair. Like before, she experimented to see what Niles liked best, alternating between lips and tongue, sucking and stroking and listening to Niles’s response. Her right hand continued stroking the base of his shaft, while her left stroked her own sex, matching the pace she set for Niles.

It was not long before that pace picked up. Minerva rutted her hips into her fingers and tried not to let it distract her. Niles was moaning and gasping with every touch, back arching off the sheets whenever she found a spot that felt particularly good. Seeing him caught in such lust only heightened her own arousal. She wasn’t sure when the first muffled moan slipped past her lips, but it only served to make Niles moan louder.

The arousal burned in her chest, and Minerva wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold keep it contained. It didn’t seem fair to allow herself climax before Niles, but as her fingers pressed firm against her sex, she realized that keeping it in was a lost cause. The tension that was coiled in her chest released all at once, and she could only moan and rock her hips through her orgasm, still trying to stroke Niles even as she shivered in the throes of completion.

Niles’s entire body stiffened, his fingers gripping her hair tight. “Minerva, I’m--”

He couldn’t finish before he moaned and arched his hips up, pressing further into her mouth, and came. Minerva’s eyes widened as his seed coated her throat and tongue, sharp and bitter and much more than she had expected there to be, and she pulled back without thinking. The rest splashed across her face and coated her cheeks.

She and Niles stared at each other, frozen in place and shoulders heaving with every breath that they took. Minerva found her voice first. “I- I apologize--”

“Oh _no_ you don’t.” Niles placed a hand over her mouth, ignoring how it still had his semen on it. “That was the best orgasm I’ve had in recent memory, princess. I don’t want to hear an apology.”

“But…” Minerva frowned and pushed his hand away. “Not only did I climax before you, I couldn’t even keep my mouth on you when you came. Considering how I promised to make this night about you--”

“Hush, _hush._ ” Niles covered her mouth again. “Seeing you orgasm while your mouth was on my dick was probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. It was certainly better than any fantasy of you I’ve ever had. That’s _why_ I came so quickly. If I hadn’t, I would have had more time to warn you before I came all over your face.”

Minerva wiped some of the semen off her cheek. “It… did take me by surprise, yes.”

“And I’m not quite so cruel as to force a complete newbie to swallow on their first time sucking dick.” Niles let out a sigh. “I had hoped to give you enough time to pull away, but oh well. Seeing you with cum on your face is surprisingly sexy. Perhaps I should do that again for round two.”

His eye glinted with mischief. Minerva snorted. “Round two?”

“Don’t pretend you aren’t also looking forward to it, Minerva. I know how much stamina you have.”

“Cheeky fool.” Minerva rolled her eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”

Niles smirked. “Suck me off again, preferably.”

“Hmmph.” Minerva wiped the rest of the semen off her face and leaned down. “I wonder if it’s possible to exhaust you from oral sex alone.”

Niles purred and stroked her cheek. “How about we find out?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This was a huge one, easily the longest chapter in the whole fic -- I probably could have split it up into two chapters, but oh well. Consider it a little extra gift for me. You even get a sex scene! Ain't that something.
> 
> I swear I had more to say about this chapter, but now I'm drawing a blank. Damn. Ah well, leave it in the comments if you have any questions or feedback, I love reading the comments from you guys <3


	7. Michalis, Reprise

Xander and the rest of the Nohrian royal family stayed another few days for further discussions, but soon the time came for Minerva to see them off. “We will be heading to Altea next,” said Xander, sitting astride his mount as Minerva saw him off at the gates. “I hope that Prince Marth and Princess Caeda are not too busy to discuss alliances with us.”

“For the sake of alliances, Marth and Caeda will gladly host you,” Minerva said. “And even if you did not come for the sake of an alliance, they still view you as trusted friends. You will be welcome there -- but do not be surprised if you find yourself caught up in their wedding preparations.”

Camilla laughed. “Oh, we won’t mind that at all,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Royal weddings are always such exciting affairs. It’s just a shame that theirs will be the only one in the near future…”

She sent a pointed look to Minerva’s side, where Niles stood. He still had a streak of red and purple hickeys up the side of his neck. Neither he and Minerva had made any attempt to hide them, and the inhabitants of the Aerie were already whispering about Minerva’s new lover. “Indeed, a shame,” Minerva said, not rising to Camilla’s bait. “But I am certain Marth and Caeda will more than make up for it. Rumor is that they’re planning a large wedding. I’m certain you will be invited.”

“Oh, I hope so!” Elise’s eyes were large and bright. “You and Maria will be coming too, right, Queen Minerva?”

“Of course we will!” Maria, standing at Minerva’s other side, spoke up with a smile. “Prince Marth will definitely invite us. Even if Minerva doesn’t go, I definitely won’t miss a chance to see you again.”

Both girls giggled. Minerva couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that Elise and Maria had become fast friends,and she was grateful for that. “We will both make an effort to come, for Prince Marth’s sake as well as yours. You can look forward to it.”

“Then indeed we shall.” Xander nodded to Minerva. “Until then, Queen Minerva, I wish you the best of fortune.”

Minerva bowed. “And I wish the same to you, King Xander.”

Xander turned to go, but his siblings lingered. “Niles,” said Leo, looking pointedly at him, “You’d best behave yourself.”

“Yeah!” Elise stood up in her saddle, hands on her hips. “You had better treat Minerva right, you hear? If you don’t--”

“Then you’ll have us to answer to.” Camilla’s smile was dark and dangerous. “So do try not to break her heart, okay Niles? There will be a cruel and unusual punishment in store for you if you do...”

Niles held up his hands. “Yes, yes, point very much taken,” he said. “I will be on my best behavior. The only ones who will get hurt are the fools who would dare try to harm her on my watch, of that you can be certain.”

“Good.” Camilla smiled and picked up her wyvern’s reins. “Best of luck with him, Queen Minerva. And best of luck with everything else, of course.”

“Indeed.” Leo nodded and turned to follow Xander. “Until next time.”

“Yes, farewell!” Odin bowed low. “Remain safe, O dark brother of mine. May the abyssal shadows forever watch your steps and keep you from--”

“Odin, we’re leaving now.”

“But Lord Leo, I haven’t completed the Farewell of Shadows yet!”

“Odin,  _ now. _ ”

Odin trudged after Leo, muttering to himself. Elise waved eagerly over her shoulder as she turned to follow. “Bye!”

The gates swung shut behind them, and Minerva exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “That was surprisingly taxing.”

“I’ll say.” Niles cracked his neck and sighed. “Oh well, it’s over and done with now. I imagine you’ll be returning to your usual duties? How many schedules, appointments, and mountains of paperwork must you tackle today?”

Minerva paused. “Actually,” she said, slipping her signet ring off her finger and holding it out to Niles, “if you don’t mind handling my paperwork again for the day, that would leave me with only one important meeting I must tackle.”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” He took the ring and slipped it on his finger. “And that would be?”

Minerva looked back to the Aerie, her gaze zeroing in on one window in particular. She swallowed hard and steeled herself. “Michalis.”

 

* * *

 

Minerva stood at the door to Michalis’s room once again, anxiety twisting in her chest. Like before, she felt the urge to turn on her heel and leave, so she couldput as much distance between her and Michalis as possible. How could she be sure that this visit would not be like her previous one?

She couldn’t. She also couldn’t be sure that Michalis wasn’t a threat until she confronted him. Her reign was in danger as long as he lived in the Aerie, and above all, there were wounds between them she couldn’t keep ignoring. She needed to put things to rest.

She opened the door. Michalis once again stood at the window, his back to her. When she entered, he glanced over his shoulder. She met his gaze with narrowed eyes. Wordlessly, she lifted her hand to dismiss the guards. This time they went without hesitation.

The door shut behind them. Michalis spoke. “I didn’t expect to see you back here.”

“I had no desire to return.” Minerva’s words were clipped, her tone short. “But I could not let things remain as they are. You are a threat to my reign, Michalis.”

Michalis snorted. “So you still believe you can reign in my stead.”

His words were mocking, and he looked to Minerva like he expected them to shut her down and silence her argument. Minerva clenched her fists. She had no talent for this. She had no idea what she could say to sway someone so convinced of her ineptitude. 

But she could not stay silent. “Regardless of what I do with Macedon, I could never prove myself half as loathsome a ruler as you were.”

He blinked, taken aback. It lasted only a second before he frowned. “I did what was best for Macedon. You would never understand.”

“I would never understand?” Minerva’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right, Michalis. I don’t understand. I don’t understand what foolishness compelled you to destroy our kingdom from within and let Dolhr rip our family apart. Macedon prospered before you turned our joy into ash.”

Michalis’s mouth was a thin line. “Father left us vulnerable. We were weak under Archanea.”

Minerva snarled. “And we were  _ pathetic _ under you,”

He whirled around to face her, eyes blazing. “I led this kingdom to victory in conquest.” He advanced until he was looming over her, tall and intimidating. “We had the entire world within our reach, Minerva. We would have become an empire. We would have controlled the entire--”

Minerva slapped him across the face. “Victory in conquest? Is that what your pathetic ambitions led you to?” She stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury, and grabbed him by the collar. “This was never about Macedon, Michalis. This was about you and your delusions of grandeur.”

Michalis held his cheek where she had slapped him. At first he could only stare, mute and stunned. “I only--”

“You only thought of yourself!” Minerva shoved him backwards until he hit the wall. “What did you plan to do once Dolhr had conquered the world, Michalis? Did you intend to fight Medeus on your own? You would have been crushed like an ant beneath his heel. You never stood a chance against him, and by allying yourself with him, you doomed Macedon to destruction. You should be grateful to Marth for sparing you that fate.”

Michalis tried to draw himself up to his full height. “I could have handled Medeus.”

“You could not even handle  _ me _ !” Minerva spat. “I struck you from your wyvern with one swing of the Hauteclere. A second blow would have been all I needed to end your life, had Maria not begged for me to spare you. I fought Medeus alongside Marth, Michalis. I saw full well just how powerful he was. Even with the Falchion and with Archanea’s three imperial regalia on our side, it was a bitter fight to destroy him. You would not have lasted one attack before he ended your pathetic, deluded existence.”

She released him and stepped back, watching him with disgust. The tirade had welled up within her without prompting, coming from a deep place of anger she had not realized existed. “I used to idolize you, Michalis,” she said. “You were all I aspired to and all I yearned to be. I had convinced myself that I would never compare to you. Now I realize just how mistaken I was. You had immense potential once, but you squandered that potential with your own foolish pride. I am disgusted with you -- but more importantly, I am disgusted with myself for ever thinking you were worth emulating.”

Michalis stared at her. He still held his cheek, now reddened from the slap. “You’ve changed.”

“I should hope so.” Minerva’s eyes narrowed. “You, on the other hand, have not changed at all. You remain as arrogant and cold as I remember. Even after Maria spared your life, you still will not speak to her.”

Michalis looked away. Minerva gritted her teeth. “She still  _ loves _ you, Michalis. She still thinks that things can go back to the way they were. She comes to see you whenever she can, because she i desperate to reconnect with you, She  _ forgave _ you, and you refuse to so much as talk to her.”

“I… cannot.” Michalis’s words were stilted. “I cannot speak to Maria.”

Minerva’s anger flared again, and she slammed Michalis against the wall. “And why not?!”

Michalis winced as his back hit cold stone. She expected him to be anger, for him to narrow his eyes and hiss about how she shouldn’t dare touch him. Instead, she got a weary gaze and a flat, emotionless tone. “I don’t deserve to talk to her.”

Minerva blinked and stepped back. Michalis stayed where he was. “When I was beaten and lying unconscious and injured in the Aerie, she came to me,” he said, his gaze distant. “I flickered in and out of consciousness to find her at my side, crying and praying for my recovery. I was stunned by how easily she forgave me. After everything I had done, she still had kindness for the man responsible for her imprisonment.”

“She has a kind heart.” Minerva crossed her arms. “By far the kindest I have ever encountered. When we were younger, you would have me believe such things were a weakness. I see now that possessing such a thing shows far more strength that raw power ever could.”

“Indeed.” Michalis looked away. “I could not bear it. I did not think myself worthy of such kindness, so I could not bring myself to speak to her. Perhaps there was lingering anger there as well. I do not know.”

Minerva huffed. “So even you are capable of remorse.”

“Do not think me repentant for everything I did, sister.” Michalis eyes narrowed. “I will shed no tears over the corpse of our father. I made my mistakes, and what’s done is done. There is no use in dwelling on the past and what might have been. What concerns me is the present, And what my present holds is one sister who wears the crown yet struggles with it, and another who offers me forgiveness I do not feel I have earned. I cannot  _ bear _ that.”

“I see.” Minerva bit back the snide comments she could have made. Regardless of his arrogance, this was progress she did not wish to spoil. “Let me give you some advice, Michalis. Get over yourself.”

“What?”  
“You heard me.” Her eyes narrowed. “This is not about you. Maria’s forgiveness has nothing to do with whether or not you feel like it is earned. She has chosen to forgive you, and that should be enough for you to grant her the decency of a conversation. As for myself, regardless of how I may struggle with the crown, it is out of your hands now. I will rule as I see fit. You can either accept that, or spend the rest of your life seething with bitterness over something you believe you are entitled to.”

“You…” Michalis stared at her, long and hard and perplexed. “You truly have changed. I did not expect such confidence from you.”

Minerva smiled bitterly. “I will choose to take that as a compliment.”

Michalis frowned. “What brought this on?” He asked. “Does your new… paramour have anything to do with this?”

Minerva blinked. “My what?”

“Maria has told me there is a man visiting the Aerie. Niles, I believe.” Michalis crossed his arms. “She did not say exactly what his relationship to you is, but I at least gleaned that you are deeply involved with him.”

“So she has told you that much…” Minerva sighed. “I would not call Niles a paramour.”

“Then what is he to you?”  
Minerva paused. “I don’t know,” she said at last. “Neither of us are. But we work well together. Originally we met as allies on a shared battlefield. At one point we were tasked with fighting together. After that, we continued fighting side by side.”

“A sworn brother, then.” Michalis nodded. “Now I understand. There are few bonds closer than the ones forged in the face of fire and death. Has he been giving you guidance in your role as Queen?”

“I would not call it guidance so much as support,” Minerva said. “He does not advise so much as he gives his honest opinion on my situation. For good or ill, he speaks his mind and encourages me to see things from ways I would not have seen them before.”

“Is he nobility of some kind?”

At that, Minerva laughed. “Hardly,” she said. “He served as a prince’s retainer, but before that, he was an outlaw. He still has not lost his rough edges, but I find him refreshing for that.”

Michalis frowned. “Hardly fitting company for royalty.”

“It matters not. He has proven himself a more valuable ally than any prince or noble ever has.” Minerva raised her eyebrow at Michalis. “And it is not your place to dictate who I involve in my affairs.”

Michalis sighed. “That does not mean I approve.”

Minerva scoffed. “Your opinion is irrelevant to me.”

“So I see.” Michalis fell silent, watching her with a puzzled frown. He tapped his fingers on his arm. “What a perplexing thing this is, not knowing how to feel about my situation. By all rights I should loathe you for humiliating me and taking my crown. I suppose I do, at least partly. But as an older brother, I cannot help but feel some bitter pride. You have lived up to the potential I always saw in you.”

Minerva blinked. “I thought you saw me as your inferior.”

“Not quite… I always knew that, despite how you trailed behind, you had the potential to surpass me one day.” Michalis smiled bitterly. “You have, at least in battle. Your true skill as a ruler remains to be seen, but you seem to be… adjusting. Time will tell if you can last.”

“And time will tell if your arrogance will eventually leave you.” Minerva scowled at him, but it was hard for her to remain angry. Backhanded as it was, Michalis  _ had _ just given her a compliment, and that was rare from him. “Were this the past, I would promise to prove myself to you. Now I see there is no need to. I gain nothing by having the approval of a fool and a traitor.”

Michalis’s laugh was half-mocking and half-sincere. “If this fool and traitor may give some advice,” he said, “keep that attitude when dealing with the generals that surround you. Macedon has been a military nation for too long. Peace will not sit well with them, and they have their own ambitions they seek to fulfill. I took the route of appeasing those ambitions, but if you are to insist on peace, you must keep them in line.”

“I will consider whether or not to accept that advice.” Minerva stepped closer, gaze firm and steady on Michalis. “Now here is some advice from me. Talk to Maria.”

Michalis raised an eyebrow. “Is that an advice or an order?”

“As you are now, orders are useless on you. That is why you are confined to this room.” Minerva’s eyes narrowed. “But if you want any hope of leaving this room one day, adjust that arrogant attitude of yours and spend the barest amount of effort considering those around you. You can start with Maria. She has suffered enough on your watch. Do not make her suffer further with your silence.”

“I will… consider it.” Michalis nodded stiffly. “Is that all?”  
“That is all.” Minerva pulled back. “We are done here.”

With that, she turned on her heel and left.

 

* * *

 

After a bit of searching, Minerva found Maria in the Aerie library. To her surprise, she was with Niles, both of them sitting on a windowsill and engaged in conversation. “...And that’s why I didn’t end up training as a pegasus knight,” Maria was saying. “Probably a good thing too. I’m not very good on horseback, and I’m even worse with weapons. Staves are the best fit for me.”

“So it seems.” Niles raised an eyebrow. “And you’ve used some interesting ones, it seems. I’ve never even  _ heard _ of an Aum staff before.”

“Oh, it’s very powerful!” Maria clapped her hands together, eyes bright. “You wouldn’t be able to use it, though, even if you were better with staves. It’s for princesses only. It also broke after one use.”

“Mmm, a shame.” Niles shrugged. “But, a mend staff is fine enough for me. I’m more suited to inflicting damage than healing it.”

Maria cocked her head to the side. “But Princess Elise tells me that Nohrians have so many interesting staves.”

“Oh, we  _ do. _ ” Niles grinned. “Shall I tell you about the freeze staff? Or how about the silence staff? Now there’s a fun one - not that I’ve ever had the luck to use it, of course...”

Minerva smiled. It put her at ease to see Maria and Niles getting along. Even with Maria supporting their relationship, she had feared that the two would do little more than tolerate each other. She certainly didn’t expect Niles to do much more than be polite, so it was a relief to see him so openly friendly.

She cleared her throat. Maria and Niles both turned to her in surprise. “Sorry to interrupt,” Minerva said. “If you’re in the middle of something, I can leave.”

“No, it’s fine!” Maria held her hands up to stop Minerva. “No problem at all. Did you need to talk to Niles?”

Minerva met Niles’s gaze briefly, then shook her head. “No, he and I can discuss things later,” she said. “Especially since, as I recall, he was  _ supposed _ to being doing my paperwork…”

Maria winced. “That’s my fault, sorry,” she said. “He came in here because he needed to look something up, and I distracted him. Sorry, Niles.”

“No apologizing, dear Maria.” Niles held up a finger. “My fault for being distracted. It was a fascinating conversation, though, we’ll have to resume it sometime. I’ll be sure to tell you more about Nohrian staves and whatever else you might like to know.”

Maria’s eyes lit up. “Yes! I’d love that.”

“Excellent, then I’ll pencil it in to my plans.” Niles winked and stood. “Until next time, Princess Maria?”

Maria nodded eagerly. “Until next time!”

Niles chuckled and moved to leave. As he passed by Minerva, however, he paused just long enough to steal a kiss. Minerva was left blinking in surprise as he left the room. Maria giggled. “He likes you.”

“I was aware of that already, Maria.”

“No, I mean  _ really _ likes you.” Maria smiled her most adorable smile. “Is he going to stay forever?”

Minerva rolled her eyes. “We haven’t planned that far ahead.”

“Will you?”

“Maybe.” Minerva moved closer and sat across from Maria. “We’ll talk about that later. I wanted to talk to you right now.”

Maria paused, then frowned. “About Michalis?”

Minerva sighed. “Yes.”

“I thought so.” Maria put a hand on Minerva’s shoulder. “Was he rude to you again?”

“I have a feeling it will be some time before he stops being rude, if he ever does.” Minerva rolled her eyes. “His pride is difficult to deal with, but at the very least, we managed to have a conversation that was… somewhat civil.”

“Really?” Maria’s eyes widened. “What did you say to him?”

“I told him the truth and my views on the situation, as plainly as I could,” Minerva said. She paused, then coughed. “I… may have also been a bit rough with him. When he got too rude, I slapped him. It seems that made him much more amenable to conversation.”

“You  _ slapped _ him?” Maria’s already wide eyes widened even further. “You didn’t hurt him too much, did you?”

“The greatest blow I dealt was to that damned pride of his.” Minerva scowled. “A slap to the face is nothing. He deserves far worse for all he has done to Macedon, and to us.”

Maria frowned. “Still…”

Minerva winced at the look on Maria’s face. “I apologize for slapping him,”

“Apology accepted.” Maria nodded in satisfaction. “What did the two of you talk about?”  
“The past. The crown. Whether or not I am fit to rule.” Minerva paused, choosing her next words carefully. “And he told me why he has not been talking to you, Maria. He claims that he does not have the right to talk to you, not after all he has put you through.”

Maria’s hand flew to her mouth, eyes widening once more. “Oh,” she said, soft and quiet. “He’s… sorry?”  
Minerva shook her head. “I would not go so far as to say that,” she said. “He lacks the self-awareness to be truly apologetic. I believe it is more likely than he cannot deal with the guilt. If he were truly sorry, he would be speaking to you.”

“I don’t think so,” Maria said, gazing somewhere into the distance with a thoughtful look on her face. “I think he is sorry, even if he doesn’t know it himself. Even when we were young, Michalis was always too wrapped up in his pride to think about his own feelings. You can be the same way, Minerva.”

Maria’s words dug deep into a nerve that Minerva didn’t realize she had. She swallowed hard. “And what makes you say that?”

Maria huffed. “Niles.”

“I-- what?”

“Niles!” Maria frowned and leaned forward. “He’s been here for over a month, but the two of you act like your relationship isn’t a big deal, even though it  _ clearly _ is. You didn’t even tell anyone about him when you were apart! I know for a fact that you missed him, it was written all over your face when he came back. I’m not blind, Minerva.”

“But…” Minerva couldn’t find the words to respond to that. She fumbled, fingers twitching, before she finally dared give a reply. “True, I never spoke of my feelings for him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know they exist.”

Maria raised her eyebrows. “Then what are they?”

Again, Minerva had no words. Maria groaned. “This is ridiculous, Minerva. Have you and Niles even talked about this?”

“Briefly,” Minerva said. “We… decided that we would reach a conclusion in time.”

“He’s just as bad as you, then!” Maria scowled. “You two sleep together every night and you’re not even sure how to describe your relationship. Both of you need to have a serious talk about this.”

Minerva swallowed. “Like I said, there’s no need for us to talk about it,” she said. “We decided that we would reach our own conclusion in time.”

“Good grief, Mineva…” Maria held her face in her hands. “You’re never going to reach a conclusion if you don’t talk about it together! You’re just going to keep ignoring it until something forces you to talk about it.”

“I am sure something like that will come along eventually.”

“Yes, because that something is me.” Maria looked up at Minerva with a scowl. “You need to talk to Niles about this as soon as possible.”

“Maria, I can’t just--”

“What’s stopping you?”  
Minerva froze. She had no answer to that. Perhaps she was afraid that delving too deep would leave her vulnerable, and that she and Niles wouldn’t like the answer they found. Perhaps they didn’t want to leave the comfortable limbo they shared. Perhaps she was just worried she would have nothing to say.

She swallowed. “I am… not sure,” she said at last. 

“Then you don’t have any excuses,” Maria aid. “Go talk to him, Minerva.”

“But…”

Maria huffed. “Come on! It can’t be any worse than talking to Michalis.”

At that, Minerva managed a wry smile. “You have a point there.”

“Of course I do.” Maria smiled. “I know you too well, sister. If you can talk down Michalis, then talking to Niles about your relationship should be easy. There’s no reason not to.”

“Even if there was, you would make me talk to him anyways.” Minerva stood, still smiling, just a little less wry. “I remember when you were such a timid little girl, Maria. You never wanted to bother us or to be a burden. Now you are forcing me to confront what I did not have the courage to. Where on earth did you find such strength?”

Maria looked away. “I… well, I don’t want to be weak anymore,” she said. “I  spent too long making others protect me. I don’t want that. I want to be strong and helpful, like you.”

Minerva’s heart ached, and she stooped down to press a kiss to Maria’s head. “Oh Maria,” she whispered. “You are already so much stronger than I am. I am so proud of you, and I hope you keep that courage for the rest of your days.”

Maria’s eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears. “Minerva…”

Minerva hugged Maria close. “I will talk with Niles tonight,” she murmured, stroking Maria’s hair while Maria muffled her sobs into Minerva’s overcoat. It would need to be washed, but Minerva did not care, just holding her sister close. “I promise you that.”

Maria nodded and pulled back to wipe her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered, beaming even through her tears. “Thank you, Minerva. You’re the greatest sister.”

Minerva smiled. “I do my best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the home stretch! Just one more chapter and an epilogue, which means it's time to start wrapping up loose ends. Obviously, the biggest of those (aside from Niles and Minerva and their _feelings)_ had to be the grand asshole himself, Michalis. No way I would finish this fic without putting that prick in his place.
> 
> Coming up next chapter - Niles, Minerva, and aforementioned feelings. I hope you enjoy it!


	8. Under The Moonlight

Minerva didn’t return to her chambers until later that night, and when she did, Niles wasn’t there.

She frowned and looked all over the room. The paperwork Niles had finished was stacked neatly on her desk. There was nothing out of place. The only thing amiss was that the window was slightly ajar, the curtain fluttering in the twilight breeze. 

She went over to examine the window. There were some smudged footprints on the ledge below, heading along a ledge on the Aerie wall. The trail ended in a small alcove where a knotted rope ladder hung, one she didn’t recall seeing before.

Minerva stepped out the window and onto the ledge below. It was wide enough that she had little trouble shifting over towards the alcove. The rope ladder extended a good twenty feet above her, and she gave it a cautious tug. It seemed sturdy enough. Deciding it was safe, she began climbing.

At the top of the ladder was a good-sized platform, just large enough for posting dracoknights on the Aerie walls to keep watch. There were no knights there this time, only Niles, sitting with his back against the Aerie wall and his gaze turned skywards. 

He noticed her and raised an eyebrow. “Oh dear, it seems I’ve been discovered.”

“What are you even doing out here?” Minerva frowned and pulled herself onto the platform. “There’s no mischief here for you.”

“Harsh, princess. I don’t always need mischief to pass my spare time.” Niles rolled his eye and waved her over, patting the spot beside him. “If you must know, I’m moon gazing.”

“Moon gazing?”

Niles gestured at the sky. Minerva looked up to see a full moon, newly visible in the twilight and shining bright in the darkening sky. “This place is the best in the entire Aerie to see the moon,” Niles said. “And I simply can’t resist it once it’s full.”

Minerva studied the moon, confused. “I did not expect you to enjoy something like this.”

“Haven’t I mentioned before that I like moon gazing?”

“You have,” Minerva said. “I assumed it was code for something devious.”

Niles groaned. “You don’t have much faith in me, do you, princess?”

“It’s not that I don’t have faith, Niles. It’s that I know you too well.” Minerva rested her back against the wall so she could watch the moon with Niles. It seemed like a pointless exercise to her, watching something that did not move, but she would not complain about having Niles’s company. “I am surprised to hear that you enjoy gazing at the moon so much.”

“Mmm, you wouldn’t be the first.” Niles chuckled. “And I don’t blame you for your confusion. You’ve never been to Nohr.”

“Is it a common pastime in Nohr?”

Niles shook his head. “More like living in Nohr makes it more… understandable,” he said. “Did any of the others tell you that most of Nohr never gets sunlight? The days are as gloomy and dim as a twilight, for reasons no one really understands. All we have is darkness and shadows.”

Minerva frowned. “I was not aware of that,” she said. “That sounds… dismal.”

“Oh, it is! Extremely so.” Niles sighed and leaned against her. “Now imagine, hypothetically, a small young child, left on his own on the streets of the Nohrian capital. He’s scraping by with every little scrap he can pilfer and scrounge, tired and hungry and constantly in the shadows of sunless days and gloomy clouds. What do you think he would feel if, when he looked out at the sky one night, he saw the clouds had thinned and a beautiful white moon was shining brightly in the sky?”

Minerva wrapped her arm around Niles’s shoulder. “I imagine he would think the moon was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.”

“Indeed he would.” Niles smiled, but it didn’t reach his eye. Instead, he looked somber. “And so whenever he can, that child watches the moon, because he feels like the moon is the only thing watching over him in his otherwise miserable life. It only makes sense that when the child grew into a man he would continue watching the moon, wouldn’t it?”

“It would.” Minerva’s gaze softened. “I had no idea Nohr was such a depressing place for you, Niles.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, princess, I had plenty of fun in Nohr as well.” Niles chuckled, some of the mischief returning to his eye. “Had my first fuck there, naturally, along with many,  _ many  _ others. And of course it’s where I met Prince Leo and entered his service. Oh, and let’s not forget the hundreds upon hundreds of ill-meaning scoundrels I killed in while still in said service. I still see each of their faces… and I  _ love _ it.”

His smile stretched into a grin, and yet, there was something wistful about it. Minerva felt a stab of unease. “Do you miss Nohr?”

Niles paused. “I suppose it would be a lie if I said I didn’t,” he said. “Granted, it’s mostly because of the people I left behind. There’s also plenty of people I’m more than happy to leave behind. But it was my home, and some damnedly soft part of my heart will always be wistful for it, not matter how much I try to kill that part of me.”

“I see…” Minerva leaned against Niles. “You do not regret choosing to stay here, do you?”

“Oh hell no, princess.” Niles snorted and shook his head. “Do you really think I’d make such a big decision without thinking it through inside and out first?”

Minerva breathed a sigh of relief. “It brings me joy to hear you say that.”

Niles chuckled. His hand slipped down to her hip, stroking at the hem of her overcoat so that his fingers teased under it. “I know something else that can bring you joy, princess. Or at the very least, pleasure…”

A shiver ran down her spine. When Niles leaned in, eye gleaming with desire, it took all of her resolve to push him away. “Not yet, Niles.”

Niles pulled back, although not without confusion on his face. “Something the matter?”

Minerva shook her head. “Nothing is the matter. It’s just that there was more I wanted to discuss with you tonight before we got… distracted,” she said. She was already distracted, the ghost of Niles’s touch still lingering on her skin and desire still warm in her chest, but she did her best to ignore it and focus. 

Although still confused, Niles apparently didn’t let it get in the way of his tongue. “That important that you’re willing to forgo sex a while longer? My my…” He chuckled. “Either that, or I’m losing my touch.”

Minerva snorted. “Your touch is as skilled as ever, Niles.”

“Good! I’d hate to think that I’m out of practice with all the intense fucking we’ve be doing.” Niles laughed. “Alright, I’ll be patient. What did you want to talk about?”

At first the words did not come. Minerva opened her mouth and had nothing to say. She closed her mouth and swallowed hard.  _ It can’t be as hard as talking to Michalis, _ she thought, except that with Michalis she had spent months and years stewing over her feelings of bitterness and inadequacy, so it was not as difficult to put words to her emotions. With Niles, she had not had that luxury.

She found her voice without any elegance, blurting, “how long are you going to stay?”

Niles’s expression darkened. He shifted back. “Do you think I’m going to leave?”

“No.” Minerva shook her head quickly. “It’s more that I want to know how… permanent this is.”

“Still implies that I’m going to leave you, princess.”

Minerva took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and soldiered onwards despite her rising doubt. “If I asked you to stay forever, would you object?”

At that, Niles blinked. “Forever is a tall order, princess.”

“Which is why I’m asking.” Minerva took another series of deep breaths to compose herself. “You are not bound here. I will not force you to stay, so if forever is too much to ask, you are not obligated to stay.”

“But you want me to stay forever.”

It was not a question. “I do,” Minerva said. “I want you to remain at my side.”

Niles remained where he was, silent. Just as Minerva was starting to worry, he chuckled, but the sound was low and dark. “The last time someone asked me that,” he murmured, meeting her eyes, “it was to make me their retainer and loyal servant. Is that what you want from me, princess? A glorified fucktoy who can fix your stress in bed and do whatever work you need done? Or am I something… more to you?”

The question trailed off, soft and pained. He looked like he wanted to pull away again, so Minerva placed her hand on Niles’s shoulder. “Niles,” she said, “I would sooner turn the Hauteclere on myself than treat you like a servant. I want you as my equal.”

Niles stiffened under her touch. “Your equal,” he repeated.

“Yes.” Minerva’s smile was soft. “I… have not had much time to think over our relationship. I don’t know exactly what we are to each other, but at the very least, I have no doubts regarding one thing - I can trust you, truly and completely. You proved as much on the battlefields in Aytolis. You were more than a match for me, always able to keep pace with me regardless of the tide and chaos of battle. Here it is no different. You still keep pace with me, and in these troubled times, no one has helped me to nearly the extent that you have.”

“Still… your equal, huh…” Niles raised his hand, laying it over top of Minerva’s, and paused. Finally, he chuckled. “Alright, I won’t lie, princess. I want that too.”

Minerva’s unease evaporated. With the weight of anxiety off her chest, she could not help but laugh. “Leave it you to take a sentimental moment and sum things up in a few short words.”

“You know me, I can’t stand sentimental nonsense.” Niles rolled his eye. “If you were to ask  _ me _ what I felt for you, I’d just say I’ve never met someone whose company I enjoy so much. Wraps it up nicely.”

“Mhmmm.” Minerva raised an eyebrow. “And that’s all?”

Niles caught her look. “Come on now, Minerva, don’t make me--”

“I bared my soul to you.” Minerva gave him a pointed look. “I won’t force you to do the same,  _ but-- _ ”

“Oh, how very passive aggressive of you!” Niles threw up his hands. “Fine, fine! You give me more respect than anyone ever has and I can’t bear to lose this bond we share,  _ or _ the respect and trust you have for me. Not to mention all the fun I have with you, and just how well we work together… gods dammit, Minerva, do I need to say more? If I get any more sentimental I’m going to puke.”

Minerva laughed. “I will accept that as enough.”

“Finally.” Niles rolled his eye. “Ugh, that was exhausting. I see why Lord Leo and Prince Takumi spend most of their time sniping at each other. Why can’t we be more like them, princess? Being nasty comes quite naturally to me.”

“I am very aware of that, Niles.” Minerva rested her forehead against his. “But I prefer this.”

Niles sighed and closed his eye. “Gods dammit, I do too. Am I going soft?”

Minerva laughed. “Perhaps,” she murmured. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else to be nasty to, Niles. Maybe I should let you into Michalis’s room…”

“Oooh, a chance to well and truly rip into the former King of Macedon? You  _ spoil _ me.” Niles’s eye lit up with a dangerous gleam. “Which reminds me, how did your little meeting with him go today? Will I have to slip in the window and give him a verbal thrashing as retribution for whatever he might have said? Unless, of course, you’d rather not talk about that…”

Minerva shook her head. “It’s fine, Niles. It was far from a happy meeting, but it still went better than I could have hoped. He has spared himself my ire for the time being.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s good that he behaved, I suppose, even if it means I can’t be nasty to him.” Niles shrugged. “Maybe I will anyways. I’m sure it can’t be too hard to slip into his window.”

“Niles…”

“I know, I know. I’ll restrain myself.” Niles held up his hands in surrender. “You’re lucky I like you so much, princess.”

“And you are lucky that I like you.” Minerva poked a finger into his chest. “There are times when I have half a mind to throw you off the roof of the Aerie.”

“Knowing my luck, I’d just end up in a water trough.”

Minerva laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. Niles scoffed. “Glad to see you find it funny, princess,” he said, turning his nose up in mock-disdain. “Just watch, I’ll end up in the water trough with every bone in my body broken, unable to get out, and drown while you stand there laughing at my misfortune. You’ll be sorry then.”

That only made Minerva laugh harder. When she could finally catch her breath, she wheezed. “Lucky for you that I want you alive and well, then.”  
“Yes, I can warm your bed much more easily like that.” Niles chuckled. “Funny, I feel like we had a similar conversation back in Aytolis.”

“I believe we did.” Minerva shook her head and smiled. “Hard to believe we got from there to here.”

“Oh yes, the whole jumping worlds thing is still something to get used to.”

She tweaked his ear. “I was talking about our relationship, Niles.”

“Ah, yes, of course. That too.” Niles smirked. “I guess Robin was onto something when he told us to pair up. I don’t think he ever would have expected us to end up here, though. No one possibly could have foreseen that I would end up in Macedon, as the most trusted companion and lover to the great Red Dragoon herself.”

Minerva’s heart fluttered. “So you will be staying?”

“Of  _ course _ I’m staying.” Niles rolled his eye. “And since I’m at it, might as well stay forever. My conscience couldn’t bear it if I left you lonely and broken-hearted. You’d probably turn into a pathetic wreck--”

Her lips sealed over his before he could finish. Niles stifled a noise of surprise, but quickly relaxed and wrapped his arms around her neck to pull her close. In the cold night air, Niles was warm and firm against her, and his mouth was warmer still.

His hands moved to undo the clasps on her overcoat. When his fingers pushed through the fabric and stroked over bare skin, she pulled back, her face flushed. “Here?”  
“Why not?” Niles pushed the overcoat off her shoulders so that it slid down her arms. “I’ll keep you warm.”

“But--” Minerva’s breath hitched as Niles’s fingers traced over her collarbone. Her eyes darted to the sky, searching for any sign of beating wings, gleaming metal, anything. “The dracoknights might see.”

“No they won’t. I’s first shift, and no one ever passes by this side of the Aerie on first shift. I’ve kept track.” Niles chuckled and leaned in, his eye hooded with lust. “You should really scold your knights about that, princess. They’re getting lazy.”

“Apparently so.” Minerva tried to keep her voice even, but it was hard to maintain her composure when Niles was disrobing her in the cold night air, in plain view of the sky, and his fingers kept stirring heat in her chest. The look he was giving her certainly didn’t help. “Still, Niles, this doesn’t seem comfortable…”

“Don’t worry, princess.” Niles leaned in and stole a kiss. “I’ll make sure it’s  _ very _ comfortable.”

“Mmm…” A slow, languid shiver went down Minerva’s spine. Something about his words, particular the husky, confident tone he spoke them in, led her to believe him. “You had better…”

“Of course, princess. Your wish is my command.” Niles slipped off her overcoat and tugged at her undershirt, a smile playing at his lips. He undid the laces slowly, but when Minerva raised her hands to help him, he batted them away. “Ah ah, princess. I know what I’m doing.”

“You’re taking forever.”

Niles clucked his tongue. “I’m going slow for a reason, princess,”  he murmured, as the last of the laces came loose. He pulled Minerva’s undershirt over her head, leaving her top bare against the night’s chill, and dragged his fingers across her breast. She hissed through her teeth, and he chuckled. “I told you, didn’t I? I said that one of these days I would teach you the joy of slow and gentle lovemaking.”

“Is that what you call this?” Minerva shivered and reached for Niles, seeking his warmth. “And wouldn’t a bed be better suited for such a thing?”

“Just trust me, Minerva.” The soft, reverent tone he used for her name gave her pause. He took advantage of that pause to lean in, both of his hands cupping her breasts as he stole a slow, languid kiss. When his tongue pushed past her lips, she allowed it with a shiver and a gasp. Goosebumps prickled along her arms, but Niles was warm.

All too soon, Niles pulled back and removed his hands. He undid his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, then tipped her back so that when she was lying down, his cloak was shielding her from the cold stone of the Aerie. He brushed her hair out of her face and purred down at her. “Here’s something I haven’t seen before - you underneath me. I quite like it.”

Minerva shifted in a futile attempt to get some friction. The intense look on Niles’s face brought heat to her own. “I take it that I will not be riding you tonight.”

“Oh no, not tonight, princess.” Niles chuckled and kissed her again, briefly. “As much as I love it - I always love having a truly dominant, commanding partner - tonight I have something different in mind. Something I’ve wanted to do a long, long time…”

The eagerness in his eye made her shiver. “And… what is that, exactly?”

Niles leaned down. “What I want, princess,” he murmured, placing a hand over her breast and squeezing oh so gently, “ is to see you come undone. I want to take you slow and drawn out, giving every inch of your body as much worship as it deserves, until you can’t take it anymore. I want to see how long you can last being  _ adored _ .”

Minerva swallowed. “Your tone speaks a challenge,” she said, grasping for anything that would allow her to keep her composure, “but your words, less so. Am I supposed to take being adored and worshipped as a threat?”

“Oh, believe me, princess…” Niles brushed his lips past her collarbone. “By the time we’re through, you will.”

“So you claim.” Minerva hoped her face was not as red as it felt, but it was hard to keep the heat at bay. Something about Niles left her even warmer than usual that night. She felt his hands on her waist, tugging at her belt, but it was hard to focus when his lips were so maddeningly warm against her chest. When he took her nipple into his mouth, she gasped. He chuckled and gave her no respite before licking and tugging gently with his teeth. The touch left Minerva’s thoughts scattered, any words or sharp retorts gone. All she could focus on was Niles.

Once he had her belt undone, he hooked his fingers in her breeches and slid them down her hips. They, along with her boots, came off all too easily. Before long she was fully naked under the moonlight, flushed and shivering, trying to grab at Niles to pull him close. Her fingers tangled in his tunic, and she thought to herself how  _ unfair _ it was that he was still clothed.

He seemed to sense her thoughts. “You’re impatient,” he murmured, as he pulled back and disentangled himself from Minerva’s hands. “You want to see my body that badly, princess?”

Despite lying flat on her back, naked, and with Niles on top of her, Minerva still had it in her to snort in derision. “I merely find it unfair that I am disrobed, and you are not.”

“Ah, but I’m hardly fair, princess.” Niles smirked. “I’m a cruel, ruthless tease, and I’m keeping my clothes on for now.”

Minerva hissed. “Niles--”

“Hush, Minerva.” Niles stole a quick kiss. “Just focus on enjoying this, hmm? I promise to make it worth your while.”

“You had better.”  Minerva frowned, but when Niles pushed her back down, she allowed it. He straddled her hips, placed his hands on her shoulders, and then with slow, practiced ease, stroked his way down her body. When he reached her breasts he paused to cup them in his hands. Minerva felt his callouses as he massaged her breasts with deft, fim pressure that left her breath hitching and her heart thudding. His thumbs flicked over her nipples and she stifled another hiss when he pinched them.

Niles chuckled and leaned down, once again claiming her mouth in a kiss. As she expected, he kept it slow, ravishing her mouth like he intended to take all night savoring it.  For all she knew, that was exactly what he had planned.

He deepened the kiss suddenly, a spike in intensity that left her mind spinning. When the dizziness passed she realize that he had intended it as a distraction from his moving hands. This time they trailed south, one taking a firm hold on her hip, the other cupping between her legs. The hand between her legs pressed closer and he curled two fingers upwards, and suddenly the stars in the sky were spinning in her eyes, the moonlight shimmering in a sudden burst of vertigo.

She arched, her back lifting almost completely off Niles’s cloak, and tried to press her hips into his hand. He just pulled away. “So needy,” he murmured, before his hand went back in to stroke her sex. “It’s quite sexy, really, but do remember that I’m taking my time with you tonight.”

Minerva gasped, but still managed to glower at him. “Bastard.”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “Guilty as charged,” he said, before his fingers curled again and the stars swam in her vision once more. She reached for him but only managed to grasp his tunic, the body underneath eluding her. He was so close, his warmth palpable and  _ right there, _ but she could not even have it against her. She would have called him cruel, but it was hard to so much as think the word when he was stoking a deep pleasure somehow more intense than their roughest bouts of sex. Her entire body burned.

Niles leaned back down and let her tug him into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him there. He didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he deepened the kiss, tongue slipping into her mouth once more. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she let herself enjoy.

Too soon he shifted back, leaving her mouth unoccupied and gasping. When she opened her eyes she saw him undoing the front of his tunic. He met her gaze and chuckled. “I love your enthusiasm, dear, but I can’t take this off with you clinging to me.”

She released her grip on him and moved to instead help him disrobe. He batted her hands away and clucked his tongue. “Ah ah, princess. Sit and watch.”

“Niles--”

“I’m teasing you tonight, remember?” Niles smirked and let the tunic slide off his shoulders until his bare chest was fully visible. With a practiced shrug, the tunic fell to the ground. “Although, I suppose that’s not quite accurate, since I tease you whenever I can. More accurate to say I’m  _ thoroughly _ teasing you tonight.”

Minerva glowered at him. “You’re being a thorough bastard tonight is what you’re doing.”

Niles laughed. “I love how you can say things like that even in your current state.”

“This from the man with the incurably wicked tongue.”

“Touche, princess.” Niles placed a hand on either side of her head, and leaned over her with a heated gaze and a faint smirk playing about his lips. He pressed his lower half -- still fully clothed -- against her, and her face heated when she felt his erection. Her hips jerked up in an attempt to get any bit of friction she could, and she was rewarded with a stifled noise of surprise from Niles befor he pressed down harder, until his lower half was nearly pinning her to the ground.

She squirmed. His cock was  _ right there _ and she couldn’t get to it, couldn’t take it into her and sate her desire. The desire only grew worse when Niles started rolling his hips, slow and languid, barely enough. She wanted it harder, wanted thrusts, hard and fast and  _ deep. _ Shallow friction wasn’t enough.

She tried to glance down at his erection, but his hand cupped under her chin and forced her to look up at him. “Look at me, princess,” he murmured, still rolling his hips, maddeningly slow. “Only me.”

Minerva met his gaze. The moonlight caught on his snow-white hair, bathing him in a soft, ethereal glow, but it could not match the dark glow of desire that burned in his eye. Her heart thudded in her chest. His expression burned with desire, with  _ want, _ and she had no doubt her own gaze mirrored his.

He kissed her again. This time it was not as slow and gentle gentle, his lips and tongue more demanding as he ravished her mouth. His hand still cupped her chin to keep her in place. She allowed it, welcomed it, seeking what small satisfaction she could in the kiss, anything to slake the desire that burned hotter than a dragon’s fire. All it did was stoke the flames further.

She reached for his belt, and this time, he did not bat her hands away. Her hands fumbled, grasping for the buckles, before finally finding them and getting them undone. His free hand joined hers, and, together, they did away with his belt.

Niles pulled back, but just enough so that he could strip out of his remaining clothes. This time he did not linger on a slow strip tease. His patience seemed to have worn thin as well, based on how quickly he kicked off his boots and removed his breeches. Her gaze strayed between his legs, where his erection stood tall, easily at full arousal.

He took hold of her chin and tipped her head up again. “I know it’s quite a sight,” he murmured, “but remember what I said, Minerva. Focus on me.”

She snorted, the sound strained through her lust. “Technically, it is part of you.”

“Hah, how clever of you.” Niles lowered his hips so that he could press his erection against her sex, and any retort she might have had dissolved into a gasp. She wanted to tell him the angle was wrong and that he couldn’t possibly enter her like that, but then his hips started moving and all words disappeared.

The angle had been intentional. Instead of entering her, he was rubbing himself against her, letting his erection slide up and down the length of her folds in a slow tease. Minerva moaned and tried to lift her hips so she could rock them in time with his. He responded by taking firm hold of her hips and pushing them back down. Strong hands kept her pinned, held exactly where he wanted her, and all she could do was moan and twitch from his sweet, maddening torture.

She found her voice for a moment. “You truly are… cruel, Niles.”

Niles chuckled. “Cruel to be kind, princess.”

Minerva bit her lip, trying to gather her thoughts even with her mind clouded by lust. “Queen.”

He paused. “Beg pardon?”

“Call me… Queen.” Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please.”

Niles hesitated. “As you wish” he whispered, and then he changed his angle, lining his erection up with her so that he was poised to enter her. “Minerva, my queen.”

He pushed inside her. After being denied so long, the slow stretch felt like heaven, and Minerva’s eyes fluttered shut as she was filled. When he had sheathed himself fully inside her, he stilled, but it did not last long. Soon he was rocking his hips, setting a slow and steady pace, and when Minerva lifted her hips to meet that pace, he made no attempt to stop her.

It did not take long for them to find a rhythm, and Minerva let herself fall into it, alternating between soft gasps and breathy moans. Niles, in turn, seemed reduced to nothing but stifled grunts and low groaning. She preferred it that way. She wanted no commentary for the moment. Instead, she wanted to enjoy.

She felt Niles’s lips on hers. Her fingers tangled in his hair as they kissed, both of them breaking the kiss every few seconds for a gasp or a moan, but always dipping back in to continue. Somehow their pace picked up before either of them was truly aware of it. Their awareness mattered little, since their bodies naturally matched each other’s rhythm, regardless of the change in tempo. 

Before long they were setting a brisk pace, Minerva’s heart thudding with every thrust. She felt her desire coiling, winding, tightening, building in intensity until she could hardly bear it. Every breath was a ragged gasp. Her heart pounded in her ears. The only thing her eyes saw, framed against a backdrop of stars and soft moonlight, was Niles.

His eye burned. His lips parted. “My queen,” he whispered.

For Minerva, that was enough. She climaxed with a loud cry that echoed off the walls of the Aerie. Her entire body shook, caught in the throes of pleasure that blinded her as it crashed over her in a wave, and she realized that never before, not even in the most intense and rough bouts of sex, had she ever had an orgasm so divine.

She felt Niles stiffen above her. He took several quick, ragged gasps, and then threw his head back with a loud moan. With one final thrust, he came inside her, and Minerva welcomed it. She could think of nothing better.

When the moment passed, they were both left shivering. Niles stared down at her. She stared back. They panted for breath, unable to speak, and not willing to break their embrace.

Niles spoke first. “Was it good for you, princess?”

She had the feeling that he meant it as a tease, but he was too breathless to manage his usual light tone. Still, she managed a hoarse laugh. “Yes,” she said. “It was… surprising.”

Niles chuckled, the sound also ragged and breathy. “I told you I would teach you the benefits of slow sex.”

“Consider me educated.” Minerva reached up to stroke his cheek. He placed his hand over hers, and she smiled. “Thank you, Niles.”

“Always a pleasure, pri-- er, Queen.” Niles rubbed the back of his neck. “Or should I go back to calling you princess now that the sex is over? I’m still not sure why you wanted to be called Queen. I thought you didn’t like it.”

Minerva paused. “I… still find it odd,” she said. “But it’s something I must get used to, if I intend to keep the throne. I thought that since sex with you is so pleasurable and I have little time to focus on anything else, I could get used to it that way.”

“Ahhh…” Niles chuckled. “Training yourself to like it, hmmm? Clever.”

“Mhmmm.” Minerva sighed and pulled Niles close to her, trying to steal some warmth. Her sweat was drying against her skin and making her feel even colder. “I must embrace my role, after all. Right now, however, I would rather embrace you.”

“Oh, definitely. Quite chilly out here.” Niles rolled off of her so he could lay at her side, and with a little shifting and fumbling, managed to drape both his tunic and her overcoat over them. “Perhaps later we’ll warm up with a second round.”

Minerva rolled her eyes. “Of course you would want such a thing.”

“Do you object?”

“Not at all, Niles.” Minerva rolled over so that she was pressed closer to Niles, resting her head on his shoulder. “Not at all.”

 

* * *

 

Minerva awoke to cold morning air and sunlight rising over the mountains in the distance. Niles remained at her side, but at some point during the night he must have stolen back into her chambers, because a heavy quilt was draped over both of them. They were still on top of the Aerie.

She groaned. It had not been her plan to spend the entire night outside, and she prayed to the gods that no patrolling dracoknights had looked down and seen them. Beside her, Niles shifted. She tweaked his ear. “Niles.”

He cracked open his eye. “Hmmm?”

“It’s morning.”

He glanced at the horizon. “So it is,” he said, before he closed his eye again.

She sighed and sat up and pulled him along with her. “I am not spending any more time naked on the Aerie walls, Niles.”

“Come now, sweetheart, five more minutes.”

“ _ Niles. _ ”

“Fine, fine.” Niles sighed and opened his eye. “I suppose it’s back to work, then?”

“Actually…” Minerva glanced at the horizon. The sun was still barely over the mountains, which meant she had time to spare before her schedule began. “I was thinking perhaps a morning ride, first.”

Niles grinned. “How kinky…”

She shoved him. “I meant my wyvern, Niles.”

“Ah, right. How presumptuous of me.” Niles shrugged, but stood, shivering briefly in the cold air before he went to gather his clothes. “I suppose I should leave you to that, then.”

“I want you to come with me.”

Niles paused. “What?”

“My wyvern can hold two.” Minerva stood as well. “Unless you’re not interested in a ride.”

His brow furrowed. “I wouldn’t object to it, princess, but what would your subjects think if they say me riding your royal wyvern alongside you? I thought you were very concerned about what they thought.”

“I am, which is why…” Minerva paused, debating whether or not it would be a good time to reveal the information. Then she remembered that she and Niles just had several rounds of sex outside on the Aerie wall, and decided they had given up on subtlety. “...I asked Xander if he would be willing to grant you a peerage.”

Niles froze. “A  _ what _ now?”

“A peerage,” Minerva repeated. “In other words, a noble title. He says the lands and holdings of Duchess Clary currently lay unclaimed, their previous owner having been stripped of them as punishment for treason.”

“Mmm, never did like that old hag, so I would  _ love _ to steal her inheritance from her… but still,  _ really _ ?” Niles frowned and turned to her. “Why on earth would you ask Xander that?”

“Because,” Minerva said, stooping to pick up her clothes so that she did not have to meet his gaze, “if I’m going to keep you at my side indefinitely, I need a reason to keep you there that will appease my subjects, especially my generals. They can object to me housing a former thief, but there is little they can say about housing a lord. And…”

She trailed off, her courage dwindling in the face of what she had to say. Niles watched her with one eyebrow raised expectantly. She swallowed and spoke again. “If you are Duke Niles of Nohr,” she said, the words slow and hesitant, “it will be much easier for me to make you King Niles of Macedon.”

Niles choked. He tried to speak, but only spluttered. It took several unsuccessful tries before he found his voice. “You’re proposing?!”

Minerva coughed. “Do you object?”

“It’s not that I object, it’s that… I…” Niles took several deep breaths. “Alright, back up… You’re asking me to marry you?”

Minerva nodded. “I am.”

“Which involves making me your royal consort.”

“It does.”

“ _ And _ the King of Macedon.”

“Correct.”

Niles stared. Minerva shifted. She feared she might have crossed a line, with how Niles reacted. She waited for a response, her unease growing as she got none.

Then, slowly, he exhaled. “Sweet hell, Minerva. Why didn’t you ask last night? A moonlight proposal would have been so much more romantic, you know.” When she glared at him, he laughed. “I jest, I jest. Let me have this. I need to cope with the shock somehow, both the shock of getting such a proposal and the shock of realizing that my answer is yes.”

Minerva’s unease evaporated. “You accept?”

“That’s what yes means, sweetheart.” Niles’s eye gleamed with sudden wickedness. “I suppose you need me anyways. You’re too much of a kindhearted queen to take on the truly nasty jobs.”

Minerva snorted. “I am flattered by your confidence in my capabilities.”

“My pleasure.” Niles winked. “Now, are we going to stand here discussing the details in our birthday suits, or are we going to get started on that wyvern ride?”

Minerva sighed. “Get dressed. We’ll discuss this later, as soon as I’ve punished you for keeping us on the Aerie wall all night long.”

“Oh?” Niles smirked. “I wonder what that could possibly be…”

Twenty minutes later, in the stableyard, all the stablehands jumped at the sudden splash of someone being pushed into the water trough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Feelings._ So many feelings.
> 
> And speaking of feelings - I can't believe I'm almost done with this fic. It's been such a long and wild ride with this one, and reading your comments has really helped me get through the slog of editing. I only hope this chapter delivered to your expectations! I have a feeling a lot of you have been waiting for this moment, haha! I certainly was.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and please tune in for the epilogue next week!


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's very much on the short side, so you get it early! Not too early though, I still had to rewrite it several times to get it to a point I liked. But, early is still early, right?

ONE YEAR LATER

The sun shone bright on the Altean palace. Garlands were draped from the castled spires, flowers were scattered so that their petals drifted in the warm breeze, and all the guards were decked out in their most impressive ceremonial armor. All throughout the courtyard the guests mingled, royalty and nobility of every rank and stature as far as the eye could see.

Years ago, such an event would have given Minerva a headache. This time, it wasn’t so bad.

She stood besides a drinks table at the edge of the courtyard, goblet in hand, and looked out at the crowd to pick out the faces she could recognize. Ryoma and Xander were each engaged in separate conversations with Altean nobles, but they stood close to each other to regardless, elbow to elbow as they made their small talk. Camilla was fawning over Corrin, who now dressed in elegant Vallite clothes not unlike Azura’s. Elise was playing with Maria, and every once in a while Minerva would see the two of them ducking in and out of the crowd, sometimes accompanied by Sakura or Tiki, all four of them giggling and seeming to enjoy themselves. And Leo…

Minerva glanced over towards Leo just in time to see a familiar figure return to her side. “There we go, now I’m all caught up,” Niles said, leaning against Minerva and picking up a drink from the table behind them. “Lord Leo’s got me all filled in on what I’ve missed. That means I’m yours for the rest of the evening, sweetheart.”

Minerva rolled her eyes. “Until you slip off to tease one of your usual targets, that is.”

“Bah, not likely.” Niles tipped back his drink. “Frederick is avoiding me, and Takumi seems occupied with some pretty blond snot named Jeorge. Seems to be quite the rivalry between them. I heard something about a challenge to an archery contest.”

“You’re not joining it.”

“Of course not, sweetheart.” Niles winked. “You asked me to behave for a royal wedding, didn’t you?”

He nodded towards the far end of the courtyard, where Marth and Caeda stood talking to their guests. Both were dressed in the finest white wedding regalia, radiating love and happiness as they took well-wishings and paused to gaze at each other in adoration. “Look at them,” said Niles, raising his drink again. “So utterly romantic. Makes me want to puke.”

Minerva elbowed him hard in the ribs. “I humored you by letting the two of us have a private wedding, Niles. The least you can do is behave for this one.”

“Oh, and I will.” Niles reached up and adjusted the circlet on his head, part of the outfit she’d commissioned for the event. It was an unusual look for him, with all the royal finery and gold jewelry, but at least he was wearing his circlet straight for once. “I cannot wait to get this blasted king’s outfit off of me, though… unless, of course, you plan to take it off yourself.”

His grin was wicked as he looked at her. Minerva snorted. “Depends on how well you behave,  _ husband, _ ” she said, raising her eyebrows at him. “We’re both here to represent Macedon, so if you don’t keep up your end of it--”

“Yes, yes, fifty lashings and other such terrible fates. I’m well aware, my dear  _ wife. _ ” Niles laughed and drained the rest of his goblet. “You needn’t worry, Minerva. I’ll behave as best I can. I’d hardly be a good King of Macedon if I didn’t, would I?”

“You wouldn’t, and I would hate to have to question my judgement in marrying you.” Despite her dry words, Minerva couldn’t help but smile. They had made their marriage official with very little fanfare, and their only guests had been Leo, Odin, and the Whitewings. Maria officiated as their cleric - she only broke down in tears of happiness once, bless her - and once the ceremony was over, they retired early to get a headstart on their honeymoon. Neither of them liked to make a fuss over such things.

She would have preferred not to make a fuss over this either, but… she owed Marth and Caeda after all they had done to help Macedon. They were friends, so we wouldn’t dare think of declining their invitation - especially not with Maria practically begging to go. Besides, she reasoned, sipping from her goblet as she watched the crowd, this wasn’t  _ so _ bad…

Niles nudged her. “Not going to get out there and socialize?”

“I’m hardly the outgoing sort, Niles.” Minerva snorted and shook her head. “And you know that Macedonians aren’t keen on fancy gatherings. We don’t like to waste time on frivolities.”

“Yes, you damn Macedonians and your spartan ways.” Niles rolled his eye. “Come now, at least go out and say hello to a few old friends. Perhaps you’ll even make some new ones. There’s a rather precocious wyvern rider the Ylisseans brought with them who is  _ dying _ to meet you. Something about you being her idol?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I absolutely am, sweetheart.” Niles grinned. “I hear she named her wyvern after you. The least you can do is go say hello to your number two fan.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “My number one fan being you, I take it.”

“Bingo! You know me so well, my dear.” Niles laughed and nudged her again. “Now, go on. I promise I’ll be a good husband and behave while you’re gone.”

“I’m not taking that chance,” Minerva said, and looped her arm with his so she could pull him away from the drinks table. Seeing his look of surprise, she smirked. “The King of Macedon should stay on his queen’s arm for the evening, shouldn’t he?”

“Mmm, I suppose he should.” Niles laughed and kissed her cheek. “Very well, let’s go find this wyvern rider together. I hope she’s not too disappointed that you rode your pegasus here today instead of your wyvern.”

“If she is, she’ll have to deal with it. Athene needed the exercise.” Minerva pulled him towards the crowd, finding that she when she had Niles on her arm, she felt none of the unease that usually came with such gatherings. She was surrounded by nobles and royals who cast her sidelong glances, but it was easy to ignore them. There was little they would dare say about the King and Queen of Macedon.

A smile on her face, she paused to kiss her husband, and then the two of them joined the mingling crowd together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done! I almost can't believe this fic is completed, I've never attempted or even finished a multi-chapter work like this before. It's been a roller coaster of a journey getting here, and I'm so grateful to everyone who took this journey with me. Thank you so much to all of you who left kudos or kind comments, it really helped keep me going <3
> 
> Maybe someday I'll revisit this pairing with some side stories - I do have a few ideas kicking around - but for the time being, I'm taking a break to recover and focus on some personal projects first. In the meantime, I wish all of my readers the best, and offer another heartfelt thank you for all your support. It meant a lot to me =D


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